The ENT department of Post Graduate Institute of Medical Education and Research (PGIMER) Chandigarh sees as many as ten new patients of Obstructive Sleep Apnea every month. OSA can affect both children and adults. On the occasion of World Sleep Day, that is held on March 13 every year, PGI released details stating how OSA is the mother of all cardiac morbidities. “We receive at least ten new cases every month and these are only adults. The cases in children are separate. Obstructive Sleep Apnea can affect both children and adults and obesity is the one of the main treatable causes of OSA,” said Sandeep Bansal, Additional Professor from ENT department of the PGIMER, while speaking to Chandigarh Newsline. “Obstructive Sleep Apnea usually happens because of repetitive narrowing of the airway during sleep despite breathing efforts. The person will unknowingly stop breathing repeatedly throughout sleep. Once the airway is opened or the breathing signal is received, the person may snore, take a deep breath, or awaken completely with a sensation of gasping, smothering, or choking,” stated the doctor. According to doctors, untreated OSA can lead to potentially serious health complications such as heart disease, blood pressure, diabetes, and depression. It can also leave a person feeling drowsy, increasing the risk of accidents while driving or working and loss of concentration at work which subsequently lead to poor productivity. Doctors have observed that around one in five adults have mild symptoms of OSA, while one in 15 have moderate-to-severe symptoms. Menopausal and postmenopausal women have an increased risk of OSA. Sleep Apnea is an independent risk factor for hypertension. It was stated that in children there is risk of OSA of one to three per cent, but in obese children the risk increases to 20 to 50 per cent. Enlargement of the tonsils and adenoids is the most common cause of OSA in children and 85 per cent children can be cured by an Adenotonsillectomy. Signs and symptoms of pediatric sleep apnea might include snoring, pauses in breathing, restless sleep, coughing or choking, mouth breathing, bed wetting, and sleep terrors. According to doctors, during the day, children with sleep apnea might perform poorly in school, have difficulty paying attention, have learning problems or behavioral problems, have poor weight gain, or be hyperactive. Treatment for OSA is given on the basis of around 20-25 sleep studies in a month at the PGI ENT department, and the severity of the condition, Apnea Hypopnea Index (AHI, the unit that determines sleep apnea severity). An AHI of less than 5 is normal. If the AHI falls between 5-15, it is considered mild, 16-3 is moderate, and more than 30 is severe. Anything more than 15 AHI can be life threatening and immediate treatment is advisable, said doctors.
