What is Obstructive Sleep Apnoea?
or OSA

  
 
 

Snoring and Obstructive Sleep Apnea (OSA) are breathing disorders, which occur during sleep, due to the narrowing or total closure of the airway.  

OSA

...is when the airway becomes completely blocked and breathing stops. The brain then detects the lack of oxygen and prompts a momentary arousal to draw breath. Although OSA sufferers may experience hundreds of apnea episodes per night, they are unlikely to remember any of them. In fact, if the sufferer lives alone or sleeps separately they may not be aware of their condition, even after many years.  

Sleep deprivation is one of the most serious health risks facing the workplace and our community today, affecting 1.2 million Australians with Obstructive Sleep Apnoea (OSA) affecting 5% of the total population1. OSA is a serious condition and when left untreated may increase the risk of heart attack, hypertension, stroke, high blood pressure, diabetes, catching colds and even death.  

OSA is notoriously under-diagnosed with less than 25% of cases in the community being identified.

  • Do you and your partner sleep in seperate rooms due to loud snoring?

  • Do you doze off unintentionally during the day? 

  • Do you often wake up feeling tired or having a headache? 

  • Do you have problems concentrating for long periods of time?


If you answer yes to any of these questions, you may be suffering fom sleep apnea and it is essential that you seek the right treatment option. 


Did you know?

  • Regular snorers have a 33% increased risk of cardiovascular disease.

  • Patients with OSA are four times more likely to have a heart attack.

  • 40-80% of stroke sufferers also suffer from OSA. 

 
OSA is a serious medical condition that can have a significant impact on quality of life, placing unnecessary strain on relationships between bed partners, family and the work place. If you have been heard to gasp for breath at night, are excessively sleepy during the day,  or display symptoms of OSA such as:

  • Loud snoring

  • Excessive daytime sleepiness

  • Depression

  • Fatigue

  • Reduced resistance to infection 

...you should consult Integrated Dentistry about alternatives for treatment.