SPONSORED FEATURE
Is snoring always a sign of sleep apnea ?
Stop sleeping on it and get tested
Sleeping soundly may sound similar to noisy breathing during sleep ( or snoring ) but they are actually the complete opposite . The former is a healthy , unencumbered rest at night while the latter suggests vibration of the soft tissues in the throat caused by turbulent airflow in a partially obstructed airway .
Most people spend one third of their lives sleeping , which is about 25-30 years and contrary to conventional wisdom , the brain is the most active during sleep when the body is resting . Sleep can be divided into rapid eye movement ( REM ) and non-rapid eye movement ( NREM ) sleep . The duration of sleep phases vary a lot depending on the age , gender , health and hormonal status of a person . A healthy adult typically receives about 20 % REM sleep per night and this phase is the most crucial as REM sleep is revitalising and rejuvenating to the body and it is directly linked to creativity , memory consolidation and cognitive functions .
About 45 % of people are reported to be snoring once in a while and this is usually harmless unless the snoring is loud , recurring and accompanied by cessation of breathing , gasping or choking . Some people wake up feeling unrefreshed despite sleeping adequate hours . Others experience daytime sleepiness , mental fogging and irritability that will eventually affect school , career and even relationships . If someone is suffering from obstructive sleep apnea ( OSA ), they may not reach REM sleep every night because of poor sleep quality from interrupted sleep and frequent awakening during NREM phase .
OSA is characterised by repetitive upper airway obstruction leading to sleep fragmentation , cardiovascular stimulation and oxygen desaturation . Due
to excessive burden on the vessels , brain and heart , OSA may increase the risk of hypertension , heart disease and stroke . There are dedicated education months commemorated for a variety of common diseases that are deemed ‘ silent killers ’. May is associated to high blood pressure while September to cholesterol and November to diabetes . Untreated OSA will increase the risk of heart attack and stroke by 2 - 3 folds compared to high blood pressure , high cholesterol and yet OSA receives only 1 single awareness day . OSA doesn ’ t appear on major headlines because in most cultures , snoring simply indicate that someone is tired and is finally getting a peaceful , deep sleep .
OSA is still underdiagnosed as proven in a study where out of 50 % of heart disease patients that may have sleep disorder , only 5 % of them receive a referral for further evaluation . Sleep study or polysomnography ( PSG ) is the gold standard for diagnosis of OSA . It used to be quite inconvenient and expensive to send for a level 1 PSG in the sleep lab but this should not be a hindrance anymore . These days , OSA can be adequately diagnosed with a level 3 PSG without the high cost or long waiting list .
Perhaps in the near future , selected health checkup packages may include a PSG to screen for OSA . Early detection with treatment options such as weight reduction , oral appliances therapy , continuous positive airway pressure machine , medical or surgical intervention are now readily available . As the old adage goes , prevention is better than cure , thus early recognition with optimal treatment of this ‘ noisy killer ’ may save someone from the social , financial and grave complications of OSA .
If someone is suffering from obstructive sleep apnea ( OSA ), they may not reach REM sleep every night because of poor sleep quality from interrupted sleep and frequent awakening during NREM phase .
Dr Gan Boon Chye is a Consultant ENT – Head and Neck Surgeon at Island Hospital , Penang , Malaysia .
GlobalHealthAsiaPacific . com ISSUE 5 | 2022
25