Could your snoring be a warning sign of apnoea?

Snoring is often dismissed as a mere annoyance, disrupting a partner's sleep. However, persistent snoring accompanied by breathing pauses during slumber may indicate a more severe health issue. Consultant otorhinolaryngologist Dr Zulkifli Hamir Basah explained that loud, frequent snoring, coupled with sleep interruptions, could signal obstructive sleep apnoea (OSA), a condition that, if left untreated, heightens the risk of hypertension, stroke, and heart attack.

OSA transpires when the airway collapses during sleep, causing breathing to cease for ten seconds or more. These disruptions can occur multiple times nightly, often without the sufferer's awareness. Instead, they might experience symptoms like persistent fatigue, difficulty concentrating, excessive daytime sleepiness, and morning headaches, even after a full night's sleep.

Zulkifli emphasized that people with OSA never achieve uninterrupted sleep, as each breathing cessation causes oxygen levels to plummet while carbon dioxide rises. The brain reacts by briefly waking the individual, often resulting in gasping, choking, or struggling for air before drifting back off.

To diagnose OSA, doctors conduct sleep studies monitoring oxygen levels, pulse rates, and breathing patterns during sleep. These tests, either at home or overnight in a hospital using a small device attached to the body, gauge the condition's severity and guide appropriate treatment. Obesity is the most common trigger for OSA, as excess fatty tissue around the neck can impede airflow while asleep.

Dr Zulkifli noted that most of his OSA patients were overweight, with one patient weighing 160kg admitted to the ICU due to severe OSA.

The patient's health dramatically improved after losing weight, without surgery. Dr Zulkifli stressed the importance of maintaining a healthy weight and lifestyle to lower OSA risk and enhance overall health and quality of life.