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Current News on Sleep
Apnoea / Apnea as of:-
When
falling asleep could cost you your life
Thursday
August 5th 2004
Sleep apnoea affects as many as 60,000 people in Ireland, but few seek
help for a condition that could put them in mortal danger every day.
Anne Dempsey reports
The recent news that waiting lists to treat a life-threatening disorder in
Ireland are more than two years long, and that death is eight times higher if
the condition is left untreated, has produced little more than a national yawn.
If we'd been talking about cancer or heart disease, we would have woken up to
such headline news. But when the subject is sleep apnoea, the nation goes into
snooze mode, because few people know what sleep apnoea is, or realise the size
and scope of the problem.
While the word apnoea is from Greek and means awakening, sleep apnoea is a
condition that stops people breathing during sleep, which causes a reflex
awakening response. About 5,000 people in Ireland are being treated for the
sleep disorder but there are an estimated 55,000 currently untreated, and
wondering why they feel so bad.
Dan Smyth (49) was one of them. "I was tired, irritable, falling asleep
during the day, often at the most inappropriate moments. My wife used to lie
awake waiting for me to stop breathing, which is very scary for a partner, and
would kick me to wake me up."
Four in every 100 men and two in every 100 women suffer from obstructive
sleep apnoea in mild, moderate or severe form. It is due to an obstruction
and/or collapse of the airway at the back of the throat, creating a reduction in
oxygen which causes the sufferer to stop breathing for 10 seconds or longer
before regaining breath.
"With severe apnoea you may be wakened like this 60 to 100 times an hour. You
may shoot up in bed gasping for breath but you may not realise what is
happening. Your sleep patterns are severely disturbed and you don't get
sufficient REM sleep," says Mr Smyth, who is honorary secretary of the Irish
Sleep Apnoea Trust.
"This creates a colossal sleep debt which the body must repay. You lose
concentration, begin to lose short-term memory. You start falling asleep at your
desk, when you're out, most seriously at the wheel.
"A recent UK report, 'Dead Tired', found that up to one in four of
road-traffic accidents are due to sleep deprivation, including sleep disorders.
Sleep apnoea can be fatal also in causing a stroke or heart disease if the brain
or heart is deprived of sufficient blood oxygen," he says.
The obstruction is typically due to extra or loose tissue in the back of the
throat, to large tonsils, large tongue, or a long floppy palate, as well as to a
decrease in the tone and strength of muscles which hold the airway open.
"Overweight people with mild apnoea can help themselves if they cut out too
rich foods, and get the weight down. Excess weight contributes to fat deposits
in the neck tissue which compress the airway and make it more likely to
collapse, while excess weight in the stomach affects the efficiency of breathing
muscles. If necessary, ease up on the booze; alcohol depresses your breathing
reflexes and significantly worsens sleep apnoea. Stopping smoking may improve
lung capacity, so a a bit of discipline will go a long way," says Mr Smyth.
"Moderate apnoea usually needs intervention. Removing tonsils or adenoids or
a defined obstruction, such as a polyps, can help. People with severe sleep
apnoea can be in big trouble. Their life is a waking nightmare and they are a
danger to everyone, including themselves.
"GPs are improving with regard to diagnosis, but you still have people going
to the doctor complaining of being tired and being given a sleeping pill which
is precisely the wrong treatment for sleep apnoea."
A proper diagnosis is available at one of the countries eight sleep centres.
But respiratory consultant Prof Walter McNicholas, who works at the sleep clinic
in St Vincent's Hospital, Dublin, told the Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health
recently that his waiting list is over two years' long. The situation, he said,
is now urgent in that there is a need for more resources and qualified
technicians if the service was to improve.
Prof McNicholas was one of a group of respiratory doctors attending the
Committee to highlight the need for a national strategic approach to respiratory
disease. He said that although Ireland has the highest death rate from the
disease in Europe, we have one of the lowest rates of physician consultations
available for those who suffer from the illness.
Dan Smyth agrees that while our qualified respiratory technicians are
excellent, more investment in training and education is needed.
"We find that if GPs write 'may be suffering from sleep disorder' when
referring to a sleep clinic, the patient may go to the bottom of the waiting
list, but if the referral stresses the dangers inherent in the patient's
condition, such as falling asleep during the day, or unable to work, then you
are likely to be moved up. For this reason, it is important to take your
partner/spouse to the GP with you because they will be in the best position to
describe what happens."
Traditional treatment after diagnosis in Ireland is most likely to be the
prescription of a breathing assistance device, delivering continuous positive
airway pressure (CPAP for short).
This nasal or face mask blows air into the nose or mouth during sleep thus
preventing breath cessation.
Dan Smyth was prescribed CPAP 11 years ago and says it has made all the
difference. "A basic CPAP costs €1,000-€1,500 and lasts about five years. Masks
cost about €120-€300 and need replacing every six months. CPAP's are free to
medical-card holders. They can be rented at €70-€80 per month including
maintenance and rental used to be covered by all Health Service Executive (HSE)
[ http://www.hse.ie/en/ ]s under the Drugs Payment Scheme. But last year three
Health Service Executive (HSE) [ http://www.hse.ie/en/ ]s refused to cover CPAPs
under the scheme and we are currently in discussion with them about this."
There is a range of surgery available to help manage sleep apnoea, aimed at
enlarging the airway, preventing snoring and airway collapse. But partly due to
the dangers of anaesthetics for those with sleep apnoea and the mixed success
rate for various operations, very few surgical procedures are carried out here
as yet. One emerging approach is to fit a dental device rather like a gum shield
in the mouth, which pulls the jaw forward and allows more space for breathing.
A different type of problem with sleep apnoea, says Mr Smyth, is the stigma.
"People who have it won't talk about it. They feel people will laugh at them.
They worry that if it became known they suffered from sleep apnoea it would
affect career prospects, as this disorder typically strikes young middle-aged
males climbing the career ladder.
"But it is a real and serious problem, and I think the fact that our website
in 2003 had 510,000 hits from 57,000 visitors speaks for itself."
From September 2004 the
Irish Sleep Apnoea Trust will hold meetings each month in Dublin with plans
to establish self-help groups in other cities also. For further information, log
on to www.isat.ie or telephone Dan Smyth at 086-6053891
Anne Dempsey
© Irish Independent
http://www.unison.ie/irish_independent/ &
http://www.unison.ie/
Published here by kind permission of the Author, The Irish
Independent and Unison.ie
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Sleep Apnoea
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When falling asleep could cost you your life
Belfast Telegraph
(subscription), UK - Aug 5, 2004
Sleep apnoea affects as many as 60,000
people in Ireland, but few seek help for a condition that could put them
in mortal danger every day. ...
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Health News > A tennis ball can stop your snore!:
New Kerala, India - Aug 2,
2004
... The tennis ball also helped treat sleep
apnoea, a dangerous condition linked to heart attacks in which a
person stops breathing for seconds at a time. ...
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Aussie doctors' 'miracle' cure for snoring
Independent Online, South Africa - Aug
2, 2004
... sleeping. This forced them to sleep on
their sides - also preventing a potentially life-threatening condition
known as sleep apnoea. ...
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Aspirant trumpets anti-snoring device
The Age, Australia - Jul
30, 2004
... Sydney-based SomnoMed owns the rights to an
oral device to treat snoring and obstructive sleep apnoea.
It has launched a $12 million ...
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Sleepless troops may be sent into battle on a high
Sydney Morning
Herald, Australia - Jul 30, 2004
... in Britain for alleviating daytime
tiredness in people suffering from the rare sleep disorder
narcolepsy and a condition called obstructive sleep apnoea.
...
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MoD denies 'stay awake' pills use
BBC News, UK - Jul 29,
2004
... purposes". It said it used them to treat
people with sleep disorders like narcolepsy and apnoea,
just as the NHS would. Also known ...
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Few seek help to sleep
South Australia
Advertiser, Australia - Jul 29, 2004
... Dr Blunden said sleep disorders
could be genetic, such as snoring and sleep apnoea, or
caused by behaviour habits, such as difficulty getting to sleep
or ...
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Wired awake
Salon (subscription) - Jul
29, 2004
... in Britain for alleviating daytime
tiredness in people suffering from the rare sleep disorder
narcolepsy and a condition called obstructive sleep apnoea.
...
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Brave Abie fighting back after operation
IrishExaminer.com
(subscription), Ireland - Jul 28, 2004
... Tipperary baby has been fighting for her
life since she was born on March 3 in Waterford Regional Hospital with
a rare disorder known as chronic sleep apnoea. ...
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Wired awake
Guardian, UK - Jul 28,
2004
... in Britain for alleviating daytime
tiredness in people suffering from the rare sleep disorder
narcolepsy and a condition called obstructive sleep apnoea.
...
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Sleep apnoea linked to stroke death risk
ABC Online, Australia - Jul
27, 2004
Sleep apnoea affects about 20 per cent
of people. Sufferers can stop breathing for 10 seconds or more while
asleep, sometimes more than 300 times a night. ...
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Sleep Apnea
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Body mass determines obesity
Biloxi Sun Herald, MS - 2
hours ago
It increases the risk for heart disease, stroke,
diabetes, certain cancers, sleep apnea and
osteoarthritis. How is an adult classified as overweight or obese?
...
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The War on Fat
Reason Online - 16 hours
ago
... re "overweight," and once your BMI hits 30
you’re "obese.") Medical conditions associated with obesity include
arthritis, gout, sleep apnea, diabetes, high ...
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Getting the snoring to stop
MLive.com, MI - Aug 3,
2004
... And, if you have sleep apnea,
a treatable but potentially life-threatening disorder, no store-bought
product will help, he adds. ...
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Wanted: sleep
Akron Beacon Journal
(subscription), OH - Aug 3, 2004
... The most common disorder diagnosed at
sleep labs is sleep apnea, in which people stop
breathing for about 30 seconds while sleeping. ...
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Cataplexy requires a neurologist
Monterey County Herald, CA - Aug
3, 2004
... Many authorities believe that cataplexy is
a form of narcolepsy, a similar neurological affliction marked by
unexpected, recurrent attacks of sleep that occur ...
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Derry lab covering sleep disorders from A to Zs
The Union Leader, NH - Aug
2, 2004
... Sleep disorders such as obstructive
sleep apnea, narcolepsy, restless leg syndrome and
insomnia can be serious problems that need to be addressed as soon as
...
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Extreme obesity
Washington Times, DC - Aug
2, 2004
... Apnea, a serious sleep
disorder, has disappeared, and Mr. Jones' life expectancy, once
estimated to be only 30 years, has increased dramatically. ...
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Derry lab covering sleep disorders from A to Zs
The Union Leader, NH - Aug
2, 2004
... Sleep disorders such as obstructive
sleep apnea, narcolepsy, restless leg syndrome and
insomnia can be serious problems that need to be addressed as soon as
...
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Sleepy Infants Equals SIDS Risk
Ivanhoe - Aug 2, 2004
... When compared to normal naps, the sleep-deprived
naps were associated with the development of obstructive sleep
apnea, a condition in which breathing stops for ...
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Healthbeat: Medical Gadgets
WHOI, IL - Aug 2, 2004
... Sleep apnea is a condition
characterized by brief periods of breathing cessation during sleep.
... There are two kinds of sleep apnea. ...
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A Machine For Sleep? Maybe Later
New York Times, NY - Aug
2, 2004
... The lab, at Downstate Medical Center in
Brooklyn, had diagnosed mild obstructive sleep apnea, a
condition that blocks breathing and suppresses oxygen levels. ...
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Device helps sleep disorder patients
WFAA (subscription), TX - Aug
2, 2004
This is called obstructive sleep apnea.
... Bill Glass was first diagnosed with sleep apnea
by a doctor sitting across the aisle from him on an airplane trip.
...
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Success with no flour, no sugar diet
Monterey County Herald, CA - Aug
2, 2004
... airway. This may lead to sleep
apnea, a potentially serious disorder during which the snorer
ceases to breathe effectively. Aside ...
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Device helps sleep apnea sufferers
WFAA (subscription), TX - Aug
1, 2004
They suffer from sleep apnea, a sleeping
disorder that can be life-threatening. However ... This is
called obstructive sleep apnea. In ...
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Sleepless nights cost SA millions
Independent Online, South
Africa - Aug 1, 2004
... on one's side, losing weight, cutting out
smoking and reducing alcohol intake could significantly improve the
condition known as sleep apnea, a disruption of ...
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Typical warning signs for sleep apnea
News-Medical.net, World - Jul
31, 2004
Millions of them have a common condition called
obstructive sleep apnea, a respiratory disorder marked
by upper airway obstruction, which causes brief ...
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Getting a good night's rest
Craig Daily Press, CO - Jul
30, 2004
... Riddle suffers from obstructive sleep
apnea, a condition that once caused him to stop breathing an
average of 114 times a night, sometimes for more than a ...
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Doctors invest in sleep clinics
MSNBC - Jul 30, 2004
... One of the most common disorders is
obstructive sleep apnea syndrome, which Everett
physician Ronald Green described as "a common, potentially lethal
disorder ...
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Consumer Medical Gadgets
WSOCtv.com, NC - Jul 30,
2004
... Sleep apnea is a condition
characterized by brief periods of breathing cessation during sleep.
... There are two kinds of sleep apnea. ...
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