Sleep apnoea is a deadly disorder which can bring about medical complications such as heart disease, hypertension, diabetes and stroke. An article from http://health365.com.au has offered some tips and facts about sleep apnoea:

• OSA occurs when a blocked airway repeatedly halts the sleeper’s breathing, resulting in loud bursts of snoring and, because sleep is so disturbed, chronic daytime fatigue ensues.

• Another risk factor is obesity, so losing weight is often the first recommended response.

• Avoiding alcohol and quitting smoking can also offer a measure of relief.

• Early studies linked OSA to a higher risk of stroke, heart disease and diabetes.

• Researchers discovered that people with sleep apnoea showed tissue loss in brain regions that help store memory. The findings demonstrated that impaired breathing during sleep can lead to a serious brain injury that disrupts memory and thinking.

• Researchers hypothesised that repeated drops in oxygen lead to the brain injury. During an apnoea episode, the brain’s blood vessels constrict, starving its tissue of oxygen and causing cellular death. The process also incites inflammation, which further damages
  the tissue.

• Research conducted in Canada showed that people with OSA are nearly five times as likely to get into car accidents in which people get hurt. The more severe the sleep apnoea, the greater their risk.

• A US study of 172 patients with features of sleep apnoea showed that the OSA may put them at an increased risk of developing complications after elective surgery.

Read more here:

http://health365.com.au/articles/sleep/what-is-sleep-apnoea

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