Sleep disorders can be fatal if neglected: Experts

Chennai, October 15: : People who experience excessive sleepiness during day time, poor memory, headaches, irritability and lack of interest in sex are most likely to be suffering from obstructive sleep apnoea (OSA) or interruption in breathing during sleep, which can lead to heart attack or stroke over a period of time if neglected.

According to ENT experts, OSA is caused when the muscles in the back of the throat relax during sleep. These muscles support the tongue, tonsils, and soft palate. Once the muscles relax, the airway in the throat can become narrow, or totally blocked. This interrupts oxygen supply which triggers the brain to pull you out of deep sleep, they say.

'Patients who suffer from OSA are at greater risk of developing high blood pressure (hypertension), which can even lead to heart attack or stroke', Dr P Vijaya Krishnan, a leading ENT consultant & Head of the Sleep Laboratory at the Madras ENT Research Foundation said in Chennai.

'If you have OSA, you may have no memory of your sleep being interrupted, but you will wake up with the feeling that you have not had a decent night's sleep,' he said.

Cases of snoring and OSA have been on the increase in the recent times, he said adding this may be either due to a rise in occurrence of the problem because of life style changes or growing awareness, he said.

Krishnan said it was estimated that 24 per cent of men above 45 years and nine per cent of women of this age group suffer from OSA.

He said these patients would be suffering from loud intermittent 'heroic' snoring, daytime sleepiness, tiredness, morning headaches, impotence and poor physical or intellectual performance.

Body fat, which seems to be more of a problem for men than women, was the primary contributor for the condition. 'It is the fat around the throat that gives the problem. It tends to squash the throat resulting in lesser room to breathe', he said adding 'a middle aged man whose collar size is 16.5 inches or above is predisposed to snore'.

The risk factors are excessive consumption of alcohol, overeating and faulty nutrition, and lack of exercise, smoking and it is more common in people with sedentary life style.

"If you are experiencing the symptoms of excessive daytime sleepiness, a useful fist step may be to ask a partner, friend, or relative to observe you when you are asleep. They may be able to spot episodes of breathlessness that could help you to confirm a diagnosis of OSA, in rare case, aponea can be fatal, but in general it takes away the quality of life', he added.

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