What are the Symptoms of Obstructive Sleep Apnea

OSA is the most common kind of apnea. It is a disorder characterized by repeated pauses in air flow during breathing when the person is asleep. The pauses occur because of narrowing, floppiness or blockage of the airway by highly bulky, distorted or lax pharyngeal tissues. This disorder can result in insufficient supply of oxygen to essential organs, chronic tiredness and more serious consequences. Read on to know what the symptoms of Obstructive Sleep Apnea (OSA) are. Obstructive Sleep Apnea – The Symptoms If someone you know shows the following symptoms, it could be that he/she has OSA. In Adults • Hypersomnia or excessive sleepiness during the day – The person may fall asleep while sitting in a car, watching TV, reading, working, lying down or just sitting. However, these brief periods of sleep do not do much to solve his general feeling of sleepiness. • Snoring – The person would snore heavily as soon as he has fallen asleep. However, there would be episodes of silence in between the loud snoring. • Breathing cessation when asleeprn• Morning headachesrn• Forgetfulnessrn• Depression, irritability, grumpiness or impatiencern• Swelling in the legs (in case of severe OSA) • Felling of sourness or dryness in the mouth at night-timern• Chest pain or sweating when sleepingrn• Heartburn at nightrn• Episodes of gasping or choking at nightrn• Tossing and turning when asleeprn• No knowledge of the apnea episodes on awaking In Children • Total sleep time is longer than normal for his age • Irritabilityrn• Inattention or hyperactivity for no obvious reasonrn• Bedwettingrn• Excessive night sweatingrn• Morning headachesrn• Restlessness in bedrn• Waking up oftenrn• Ribcage associated inward movement when breathing inrn• Takes a lot of effort to breathe – heaving chest, flaring nostrilsrn• Snoringrn• Drooling or chokingrn• Mouth breathingrn• Sleepiness or lethargy in the classroomrn• Is not growing or putting on weight as fast as he should for his age Treatment for this Sleep Apnea Two common modes of Obstructive Sleep Apnea treatment are using the CPAP (Continuous Positive Airflow Pressure) machine and surgically fixing the problem. The former is the most common method of treatment. It provides adequate air pressure to restore regular sleep patterns, reduce daytime sleepiness and improve the person’s mood. However, the CPAP machine is a heavy and inconvenient piece of equipment and most patients who use it usually suffer from some kind of side effect. Surgery is therefore a better option, especially if the patient has: • Moderate to extreme OSArn• Low AHI but suffers from excessive daytime sleepinessrn• Got no relief with non-surgical treatmentrn• OSA with structural airway aberrationsrn• Co-existing health disorders such as hypertension and heart arrhythmias Search online or ask your friends or colleagues for an experienced plastic surgeon who is an expert in treating sleeping disorders such as Obstructive Sleep Apnea. Surgery at an AAAASF accredited plastic surgery center would ensure efficacy and patient safety. An Immediate Medical Consultation is Essential Awareness about the symptoms of Obstructive Sleep Apnea keeps you alert. You are now well-equipped to recognize its prevalence or advise a loved one, friend or colleague affected by it. If you do see these symptoms in someone you know, encourage the person to get medical attention immediately.