Sleep apnoea is a common disorder in which there are one or more "apnoeic" (paused breathing) episodes during sleep.  These apneoic episodes may last several seconds to minutes, occurring as often as 5 to 30 times or more in an hour.  After this period of apnoea, the sufferer often chokes or snorts, before returning to normal breathing.  As such, the patient with sleep apnoea typically moves in and out of deep sleep throughout the sleep period, resulting in poor sleep quality and daytime fatigue.   Severe sleep apnoea may be life threatening if left untreated.

Most people with sleep apnoea are unaware that they have the condition because it occurs only during sleep.  Hence, it requires a high index of suspicion on the part of the doctor, to pick up possible sleep apnoea, and order further investigations to confirm it.

Awareness about the condition often also helps bring patients to see their doctors about it.

Snoring

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It has been estimated that between 40-60% of men and 30-40% of women snore.  Snoring results from the partial obstruction of the upper airway during sleep.  The tendency to snore increases with age, and there is a spectrum of snoring, from mild snoring (which is harmless) to obstructive sleep apnoea (which should be treated).

Classification

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There are 3 forms of sleep apnoea: obstructive sleep apnoea (OSA), central sleep apnoea (CSA) and mixed sleep apnoea (a combination of OSA and CSA).

In CSA, the central neurological controls for breathing malfunction; in OSA, breathing is interrupted by a physical block to airflow despite normal respiratory effort.  Only OSA will be discussed in this article.

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