Experts state that recurrent sleep apnoea attacks may also lead to the development of hypertension and diabetes.

According to doctors, there is a steady rise in the number of people presenting with sleep apnoea - a condition in which there is an interruption in the breathing pattern when a person is asleep. Reportedly, around 10% of people in Bengaluru suffer from sleep apnoea. 

“Obstructive sleep apnoea is essentially an obstruction of the upper airway tract. In case there is reduction in airflow and not a complete block in airflow, it is known as hypo-apnoea,” explains Dr Apoorva Salguti, a Mumbai based Otorhinolaryngologist (ENT specialist). “People who present with sleep apnoea usually present with snoring. They generally complain that they wake up feeling irritable due to lack of proper sleep and they end up complaining that they feel sleepy throughout the day,” she adds.  

Lifestyle choices, alcohol, smoking, and stress can lead to strain on the muscles involved in the respiratory passage. When these muscles don’t function well, there is a chance that a person may present with sleep apnoea.  

Deviated nasal septum and nasal polyps are some of the common causes of sleep apnoea. “In young children, the presence of swollen tonsils or adenoids may also be contributing to the problem,” adds Dr Apoorva. While a nasal endoscopy or indirect laryngoscopy are some tests done to determine the cause of sleep apnoea in a person, she says that the golden standard test done is the polysomnography test.

“The patient is monitored carefully as they sleep and the test results are interpreted accordingly to determine what measures can be taken to reduce the issue. Surgery is a last measure, and is only resorted to, if the person requires the same,” she adds. Both an ENT specialist and a pulmonologist are often involved in diagnosis and treatment of sleep apnoea. Experts state that recurrent sleep apnoea attacks may also lead to the development of hypertension and diabetes. 

This story was originally published on The News Minute and is reprinted here with permission. It can be viewed on https://www.thenewsminute.com/article/sleep-apnoea-cases-rise-bengaluru-say-doctors-88495