Sleep Apnea

Abstract

Obstructive sleep apnea is one of the well recognized sleep-related breathing disorders characterized by snoring, episodic cessation (apnea) or reduction (hypopnea) of breathing during sleep and excessive sleepiness during the daytime. The prevalence of sleep apnea shows a rising trend in both developed as well as developing countries. If undiagnosed or untreated,
sleep apnea can lead to adverse cardio-pulmonary, metabolic and neurocognitive outcomes including road traffic accidents. Early screening for symptoms and risk factors by the family physician, followed by referral of patients at risk to a sleep centre or specialist for timely diagnosis by polysomnography and effective treatment by positive airway pressure therapy is the standard of care.