by Alvin Ho, myofunctional therapist, Leeming clinic
What is Obstructive Sleep Apnoea?
Obstructive sleep apnoea (OSA) is a medical condition where the muscles of the throat and tongue relax excessively during sleep causing the airway collapse. This can affect a person’s ability to breathe.
In formal sleep studies, episodes are categorised as a person stopping breathing for 10 or more seconds. Mild sleep apnoea is categorised as five to 14 of these episodes occurring within the span of an hour. Now put this into context by holding your breath for 10 seconds and imagine this happening repeatedly in your sleep every night.
Exhausted yet?
Why you should take it seriously
It’s estimated that 20 per cent of adults struggle with OSA, which is a significant number. Importantly, 80 per cent of cases are undiagnosed. I see this this is reflected in the clinic where I come across many patients who display signs and symptoms consistent with OSA. Often, this presents as chronic neck or jaw pain, along with fatigue.
Sleep is a vital function, and a time when our bodies recuperate and regenerate. So, it’s no great surprise that obstructive sleep apnoea can significantly affect a person’s quality of life. With episodes of non-breathing, their brain is thrown into a constant state of fight or flight, which has many knock-on effects across our general health and wellbeing.
How does sleep apnoea affect the body?
As their sleep is repeatedly disrupted, people with OSA often experience:
- Loud, chronic snoring
- Gasping or choking during sleep
- Excessive daytime fatigue
- Morning headaches
- Difficulty concentrating
- Mood changes such as irritability or low mood
- Waking with a dry mouth
If left untreated, OSA can be associated with an increased risk of:
- High blood pressure
- Heart disease
- Type 2 diabetes
- Stroke
Beyond this, a range of social impacts can be felt from poor concentration affecting work performance and relationships, deteriorating mental health and decreased self-confidence and overall wellbeing.
In children, OSA is often associated with:
- Hyperactivity
- Behavioural challenges
- Poor concentration
- Delayed development
It is therefore extremely important to identify OSA early in children. If left untreated, it can have a range of negative effects on a child’s physical and neurological development.
How do I know if I have OSA?
Obstructive sleep apnoea is diagnosed via an individual sleep study known as a polysomnography. The components of this include monitoring brain waves (EEG), eye movements (EOG), muscle activity (EMG), heart rate (ECG), blood oxygen levels (pulse oximetry) and breathing airflow.
It’s possible to buy at home sleep apnoea test kits to measure some of these components, but the quality varies. Using an at home test kit means you run the risk of a false negative, which could mean your OSA goes undiagnosed and untreated.
Before rushing to get a sleep study done, there are a two questionnaires you can complete to get a rough idea if there is potentially OSA present. If your results suggest this may be the case, I would encourage you to book an appointment.
What are the treatment options for sleep apnoea?
Common management options include:
• CPAP (Continuous positive airway pressure) therapy
• Mandibular advancement splints (specialised dental appliances)
• Weight management
• ENT evaluation (to see if enlarged tonsils or structural concerns are present)
• Positional therapy
• Orofacial myofunctional therapy (OMT) with a physio to improve airway muscle tone
Orofacial myofunctional therapy, performed by a trained physiotherapist, focuses on strengthening and retraining the muscles of the tongue and throat to reduce airway collapse. Research suggests that OMT can significantly improve mild-to-moderate OSA and is a valuable complement to CPAP or oral appliance therapy.
In the long term, OMT can also reduce the reliance on those appliances.
What should I do if I suspect I have it?
If you suspect you have OSA, it’s important to get assessed by a qualified practitioner. You can learn more here, completing the two questionnaires mentioned above, or reach out to the clinic to book an assessment with me.
