Sleep-related Disorders and Sleep Medicine

Sleep-related Disorders and Sleep Medicine
Obstructive sleep apnea is the most common sleep-related breathing disorder. People with obstructive sleep apnea repeatedly stop and start breathing while they sleep. Obstructive sleep apnea occurs when the throat muscles relax and block the airway. This happens on and off frequently during sleep.
Symptoms of obstructive sleep apnea include:
Excessive daytime sleepiness
Loud snoring.
Observed episodes of stopped breathing during sleep.
Staying awake during the night and gasping or choking.
Waking up in the morning with a dry mouth or sore throat.
Morning headaches.
Trouble focusing during the day
Mood changes, such as depression or being easily upset.
High blood pressure.
Decreased interest in sex.

Excessive daytime sleepiness due to untreated OSA can lead to accidents. Quality of life is also highly impaired due to daytime sleepiness and cognitive and behavioral functions are also affected, causing major damage in the patient's professional and social life. Untreated OSA is also responsible for uncontrolled blood pressure, diabetes and sometimes for cardiovascular damage like heart attack, brain stroke, irregular heart beat, and so on. So it becomes essential to treat this challenge.
OSA can easily be identified by Sleep Study: Polysomnography. The mainstay treatment of OSA is CPAP (Continuous Positive Airway Pressure) therapy in most patients with moderate to severe disease. Weight reduction and behavioral modification may help in early and mild forms of disease. There are different kinds of Dental and Nasal devices available but they are not effective in moderate-severe diseases. Surgery might be an option in a few cases. At Zydus Hospital, we have a team of experts and the infrastructure to assess this disorder including Drug-Induced Sleep Endoscopy & Polysomnography.