OSA Full Form

The most prevalent sleep-related breathing problem is OSA, known as obstructive sleep apnea. It leads you to start and stop repeatedly breathing while you sleep. There are various diversities of sleep apnea, but obstructive sleep apnea is the most common. When the throat muscles are relaxing and restricting the airway throughout sleep, this apnea happens. 

Snoring is a one of the common symptoms of OSA. The muscles which backs up the soft tissues in the throat, including the tongue or soft palate, relax, OSA develops.  The airway will narrow or might even close. As a result, temporarily stops your breathing. This paper will discuss OSA or Obstructive Sleep Apnea and its causes, factors, and treatment. 

What is OSA?

When something stops half of the entire upper airway during your sleep, this is known as obstructive sleep apnea. To open your airway and bring air into your lungs, your diaphragm & chest muscles must work harder. Your breathing may become shallow or cease entirely. A loud gasp, cough, or body jerk usually signals the start of breathing again. You could not be sleeping well, but you won’t be aware of it.

Especially when sleeping, air must easily flow from the nose and mouth into the lungs. Apnea or apneic crises are periods when breathing pauses altogether. Throughout the night, the usual flow of air is interrupted in OSA.

Although OSA is more common in older men, it can harm anyone, even toddlers. Following menopause, the incidence climbs to the point that men and postmenopausal women have identical rates. Snoring is frequently linked to OSA, particularly when punctuated by intervals of silence. Airflow squeezing via constricted airway path causes snoring.

What causes OSA or Obstructive Sleep Apnea?

When the tissues in the back of the throat loosen too much to enable normal breathing, you have obstructive sleep apnea. These muscles support the soft palate, the tonsils, the uvula and the tongue.

As you breathe in, your airways restrict or close as the muscles relax, causing breathing difficulty for 10 seconds or more. This causes a build-up of carbon dioxide and lowers the amount of oxygen in the blood.

Your brain detects this obstructed breathing and wakes you up briefly so you can open your airway. You generally don’t remember this waking since it is so fleeting. Shortness of breath can wake you up, but it will rapidly rectify itself with one or a couple of deep breaths. You may choke, snort, or gasp.

This sequence can occur five to thirty times each hour or more, all night long. These disruptions make it difficult for you to enter the deep, restorative stages of sleep, and then you’ll likely feel sleepy during the day.

What are the risk factors for Obstructive Sleep Apnea?

Obstructive sleep apnea can affect everyone. Certain variables, however, put you at greater risk, including

Weight gain:  Obstructive sleep apnea affects most people, although not all. Fat deposits in the upper airway may make breathing difficult. Obesity-related medical problems, such as hypothyroidism or polycystic ovarian syndrome, can potentially induce obstructive sleep apnea.

Getting older: Obstructive sleep apnea risk rises with age, although it levels out in your 60s and 70s.

Airway obstruction: You might be born with narrow airways. Alternatively, your adenoids or tonsil may expand and restrict your airway.

Blood pressure problems (hypertension): People with hypertension are more likely to suffer from obstructive sleep apnea.

Nasal congestion that persists:  Those who have persistent nasal congestion at sleep are twice as likely to develop obstructive sleep apnea regardless of the source. This could be related to congested airways.

Smoking:  Smokers are more prone to suffer from obstructive sleep apnea.

Diabetes:  Obstructive sleep apnea may be more prevalent among people with diabetes.

Sex:  Obstructive sleep apnea affects two to three times as many males as premenopausal women. After menopause, the incidence of sleep apnea rises in women.

Sleep apnea runs in the family:  Having obstructive sleep apnea in your family may raise your risk.

Asthma:  Asthma with the risk for sleep apnea has been linked in research.

What is the treatment of OSA?

Loss of weight: People having OSA are suggested to lose weight as obesity is overlying condition that disrupts sleep. Weight loss has indeed been demonstrated as preventable solution for reducing the severity of OSA, albeit it may not result in total remission. If your doctor recommends it, losing of weight might help to lower blood pressure,  while also enhancing standard of living, and minimize daytime sleepiness.

Lie down on your side: Positional therapy is used to assist you in learning to sleep on your side because resting on your back can make OSA worse for certain people.

Positive airway pressure: 

Positive airway pressure: The primary line of treatment for OSA is CPAP therapy (continuous positive airway pressure). It is delivered using a nighttime face mask.

Conclusion

In mature patients (diagnosed with OSA), there is little consensus on the role of surgery. When CPAP and BPAP machines or a mouth appliance do not work, surgical therapies are good options. Surgical intervention may be the most beneficial for those with OSA caused by a severe, medically amendable upper airways obstructive lesion.