Is snoring keeping you up at night?

Did you know?

1 in 5 adults has some form of sleep disordered breathing, where your breathing disrupts your sleep. If you snore, you may be one of the millions who suffer from obstructive sleep apnoea (OSA).

How does OSA happen?
During sleep, the upper airway muscles relax, causing your airway to:
• Narrow, which restricts airflow as you breath
• Vibrate, which is what can be heard as snoring
• Collapse, which briefly interrupts your breathing and prevents you from breathing and sleeping normally.

OSA is linked to reduced upper airway which can be caused by an enlarged tongue, soft palate or tonsils, backwardly set jaw or increased body mass. You are also more likely to suffer from OSA as you age.

Why is it important to get treated?

It is easy to dismiss OSA symptoms as mild or harmless, but OSA can prevent you from getting the deep, restorative sleep you need. It can also reduce the quality of life and affect your long-term health.

Risks include

Accidents while driving
Diabetes
Cardiovascular diseases
Lower productivity and accidents at work
Poor cognitive performance
Screening Questions

Determine how bad you OSA is by answering these question honestly.

Do you Snore at night?
Do you often feel Tired, Fatigued, or Sleepy during the daytime
Has anyone Observed you Stop Breathing or Choking/Gasping during your sleep?
Do you have or are being treated for High Blood Pressure ?
Body Mass Index more than 35 kg/m2?
Age older than 50 ?
Is you neck collar over 17" for men or 16" for women
Are you a male
OSA - Low Risk : Yes to 0 - 2 questions
OSA - Intermediate Risk : Yes to 3 - 4 questions
OSA - High Risk : Yes to 5 - 8 questions

What are the treatment options?
Depending on your symptoms, you may be referred to a sleep specialist who will diagnose your condition before prescribing the treatment that is right for you:
• Lifestyle changes (like losing weight) - hard to do in real life.  Especially if you are always feeling tired.
• Mandibular repositioning device - works well and most easily tolerated
•  Continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) - works well but can be distracting
• Surgical procedures (poor evidence of improvement)

A mandibular repositioning device is an oral device that is custom made for you to wear when you sleep. It holds the lower jaw in a forward position to widen the space behind the tongue and keep the airway clear. It has been long shown to be a comfortable option to treat snoring and OSA.

Would you like to know more?
Ask one of our receptionists to book you an appointment with Gaya to find out whether you suffer from obstructive sleep apnoea (OSA) and what the possible treatment options are.