Millions of people in the UK are affected by sleep apnoea. However, many people are unaware that they have it.
As reported by the BBC, sleep apnoea is a serious disorder where breathing stops and starts during sleep, with the potential for breathing to stop every minute for more than 10 seconds at a time in the most severe cases. Often, sufferers will wake up with no idea what has happened, but will experience increased tiredness the following day.
Research found that, whilst one million people have been diagnosed with sleep apnoea, seven million more people may have it. This number is rising, including among younger people, driven by rising obesity rates. It is a common misconception that sleep apnoea only affects older, overweight men, however it can impact people of all ages, genders, and body types.
If left undiagnosed and untreated, sleep apnoea can reduce life expectancy by 10 years, and lead to type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure, and heart disease. As such, it’s important that the public are aware of the symptoms, to seek diagnosis as soon as possible.
At night, symptoms include:
During the day, symptoms include:
Access to diagnostic sleep studies, as well as treatment can be difficult due to long waiting lists. Continuous Positive Airway Pressure (CPAP) machines are the gold standard treatment for sleep apnoea, with mandibular advancement devices (MAD) less common.
For those who suspect they may have sleep apnoea, it’s important to seek advice from a medical professional, who may recommend a number of lifestyle changes alongside treatment such as losing weight, regular exercise, sleeping on your side, reducing alcohol intake, and stopping smoking.
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