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Obstructive Sleep Apnoea
| Date: |
12 July 2010 07:00 |
| Producer: |
Susan Stos
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| Presenter: |
Derek Watts
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| Show: | Carte Blanche Medical |
Derek Watts (Carte Blanche Medical presenter): 'There's an old Irish proverb that says, 'The beginning of health is sleep.' But are you tired all day and restless at night? Do you snore? Have you gained weight for no apparent reason? Then you may have obstructive sleep apnoea. And it's more than just annoying. It could seriously affect your health.'
We all sleep in 90 minute cycles, and in the last part of that cycle, the REM phase, our bodies become paralysed to stop us from acting out our dreams. Our tongues, soft palate and pharynx relax and in some cases, they obstruct the airway.
The blocking of the airway causes some people to miss a couple of breaths and blood oxygen levels drop. There is insufficient ventilation of the lungs, and lack of oxygen to the brain and other vital organs.f
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They stop breathing, wake up momentarily, snore, then fall asleep and start the process all over. In extreme cases this can happen more than 60 times an hour, yet most sufferers are unaware that their sleep is disturbed. They are chronically tired but don't know why.
The thing is, when blood oxygen drops, a hormone called ghrelin, which makes us hungry and slows down metabolism, is increased while another hormone, leptin, which regulates appetite and metabolism, is decreased. Both actions boost hunger and reduce the body's ability to burn fat.
And because food is a stimulant, we eat more of it when we're exhausted. The extra weight blocks the airways further, therefore, a greater drop in blood oxygen, and more weight gain. Ironically, sleep apnoea is relieved by losing weight, but 80% of sufferers don't start off overweight in the first place.
Doctors determine the condition in part by using Epworth Sleepiness Scale, where people are asked to judge the likelihood of falling asleep in specific situations.
About 5% of women suffer from it and anywhere up to 25% of men. As well as the danger of excessive weight, it can affect a person's ability to function, and increase the risk of a heart attack and high blood pressure among other conditions.
Derek: 'Obstructive sleep apnoea is a serious condition. So, if you think it may apply to you, get it checked out.'
IMPORTANT DISCLAIMER:While every attempt has been made to ensure this transcript or summary is accurate, Carte Blanche or its agents cannot be held liable for any claims arising out of inaccuracies caused by human error or electronic fault. This transcript was typed from a transcription recording unit and not from an original script, so due to the possibility of mishearing and the difficulty, in some cases, of identifying individual speakers, errors cannot be ruled out.
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