Sleep Apnoea Clinic

• Obstructive Sleep Apnoea is when a person stops breathing repeatedly during sleep
• Breathing stops because the airway collapses and prevents air from getting into the lungs
• Sleep patterns are disrupted, resulting in excessive sleepiness or fatigue during the day

• Extra tissue in the back of the airway such as large tonsils
• Decrease in the tone of the muscles holding the airway open
• The tongue falling back and closing off the airway

• 4 in 100 middle-aged men and 2 in 100 middle-aged women have Obstructive Sleep Apnoea
• Most OSA sufferers remain undiagnosed and untreated
• Obstructive Sleep Apnoea is as common as adult asthma

• See your doctor; evaluation by a doctor specialising in sleep disorders is recommended
• Have a sleep study done; a sleep study can provide the doctor with information about how you sleep and breathe.This information will help the doctor to determine your diagnosis and treatment options.

Possible increased risk for:

• High blood pressure
• Fatigue-related motor vehicle and work accidents
• Heart disease and heart attack
• Decreased quality of life
• Stroke

The most common treatment is:

• CPAP (Continuous Positive Airway Pressure), pronounced ‘see-PAP’. Other less common treatments include surgery and oral appliances, which may be effective in certain individuals
• Any treatments should include weight loss if needed, exercise, and avoidance of alcohol, sedatives, and hypnotics

CPAP treats Obstructive Sleep Apnoea by providing a gentle flow of positive-pressure air through a mask to splint the airway open during sleep.

• Breathing becomes regular
• Snoring stops
• Restful sleep is restored
• Quality of life is improved
• Risk for high blood pressure, heart disease, heart attack, stroke, and motor vehicle and work accidents is reduced