Overview
Obstructive Sleep Apnoea (OSA) is a sleep disorder where breathing repeatedly stops and starts during sleep. This happens when the throat muscles intermittently relax and block your airway during sleep.
Common symptoms
- Loud snoring
- Observed episodes of stopped breathing during sleep
- Abrupt awakenings accompanied by gasping or choking
- Morning headache and dry mouth
- Excessive daytime sleepiness (hypersomnia)
- Difficulty concentrating and irritability
When to see an ENT
- Snoring loud enough to disturb your sleep or that of others
- Waking up gasping or choking
- Intermittent pauses in your breathing during sleep
- Excessive daytime drowsiness, which may cause you to fall asleep while working, watching TV or even driving
What we do
- Comprehensive ENT examination including upper airway assessment
- Nasoendoscopy to identify sites of obstruction (nose, palate, tongue base)
- Coordination of sleep studies (Polysomnography)
Treatment options
- Lifestyle changes (weight loss, positional therapy)
- Continuous Positive Airway Pressure (CPAP) machine
- Oral appliances (mandibular advancement devices)
- Surgical options: Tonsillectomy, Adenoidectomy, Uvulopalatopharyngoplasty (UPPP), or Nasal surgery to improve airflow