Docs highlight risks associated with sleep apnea

The Department of Otolaryngology and Head Neck Surgery, PGIMER, organised a series of events to observe World Sleep Day. Aimed at raising awareness about Obstructive Sleep Apnea (OSA) and other sleep-related disorders, Dr Jaimanti Bakshi, Head of Department ENT and Dr Sandeep Bansal, incharge, Sleep Lab, interacted with the media to highlight the long-term effects of ignoring sleep apnea at an early stage.

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OSA is a sleep disorder characterised by repeated episodes of partial or complete blockage of the upper airway during sleep. The blockages result in pauses in breathing, known as apneas, often followed by gasping or choking as the body struggles to restore normal breathing. These interruptions lead to fragmented, poor-quality sleep, reducing oxygen supply to vital organs and significantly impacting overall health.

OSA is a widespread condition, affecting approximately one billion people globally. In India alone, the prevalence is roughly 11% with males being affected twice as much as females.

“While men and young boys are more prone to this condition, it is also common in women post menopause. It also affect 1-5% of children between 2-8 years of age. However, many cases go undiagnosed due to a lack of awareness,” shared Dr Bansal.

Special consideration needs to be given to children afflicted by the spectrum of sleep disordered breathing. Adenoid and tonsil tissue can be predisposing factors, along with obesity, congenital birth disorders, which affect the skeletal and neuromuscular system. “Early recognition and treatment by minor interventions such as adenotonsillectomy can go a long way in prevention of several comorbid conditions in adulthood,” explained Dr Bakshi.

The experts reflected on the need to educate parents and grandparents on OSA so as to correct the issue at an early stage in a child. They suggested camps in schools to target more children in near future to start a conversation about OSA among parents and teachers.

Despite its high prevalence, OSA remains underdiagnosed, largely due to lack of awareness. According to Dr Bansal, snoring, excessive day-time sleeping and morning headache are earliest of signs for OSA.

“Many individuals normalise their snoring and daytime fatigue, unaware that these could be signs of a serious medical condition,” added Dr Bansal.

Experts opine that it is high time that government should recognise OSA in non-communicable diseases and hence device a policy or programme for its prevention. In North Zone, there’s a need to establish Advanced Sleep Apnea Centre so that more people can be treated and advised the required the corrective surgery to avoid long-term health complications.

Left untreated, OSA can lead to serious health complications, including cardiovascular diseases like heart disease, stroke and arrhythmias; metabolic disorders like type 2 diabetes; mental health issues such as depression, anxiety and cognitive decline.

In fact, about 25 per cent of road accidents are resultant of daytime fatigue and excessive sleepiness.