| ENT MATTERS |
Snoring & Obstructive Sleep Apnoea (OSA)
Snoring is an unpleasant, and in the majority of times
loud noise, produced during sleep by turbulent flow of
air.
The turbulence is produced if there is narrowing or a
blockage through the nasal passages, the back of the
soft palate and uvula, the base of tongue and rarely,
the laryngeal inlet.
Obstructive Sleep Apnoea (OSA) is snoring interrupted
by frequent episodes of totally obstructed breathing.
These serious episodes last more than ten seconds and
can occur between 30 - 300 times per night.
Obstructive Sleep Apnoea events lower blood oxygen
levels, causing strain on the heart.
Muscles can tense in order to keep airflow to the lungs;
this can result in patients feeling tired and sleepy during
the day and having interrupted sleep at night. The
performance of the person in day to day activities is
reduced and the impact in the life quality is significant.
The commonest causes of snoring and/or OSA in
children are:
Treatment of OSA in children is adenoidectomy and
tonsillectomy or tonsillotomy
Commonest causes of snoring and / or OSA in adults
are:
Treatment for OSA is mainly:
Treatment for snoring, when weight loss and exercise
do not improve the symptoms, is mainly surgical.
Nasal Surgery. For nasal conditions, a septoplasty or
endoscopic polypectomy is needed.
Palatal Surgery. This is very frequently used in
addressing the problem of snoring, as the palate is the
most usual level of obstruction. Palatal surgery may
involve just the uvula and soft palate (uvulo-palato-
plasty) or a more extensive procedure reshaping the
uvula, soft palate and removing the tonsils (uvulo-
palato-pharyngoplasty).
Tongue Surgery. For obstruction at the back of the
tongue, a mandibular advancement device (splint) can
be used. Also, radio-frequency is used to reduce the
size of the back of the tongue under general
anaesthesia.
Snoring is an unpleasant, and in the majority of times
loud noise, produced during sleep by turbulent flow of
air.
The turbulence is produced if there is narrowing or a
blockage through the nasal passages, the back of the
soft palate and uvula, the base of tongue and rarely,
the laryngeal inlet.
Obstructive Sleep Apnoea (OSA) is snoring interrupted
by frequent episodes of totally obstructed breathing.
These serious episodes last more than ten seconds and
can occur between 30 - 300 times per night.
Obstructive Sleep Apnoea events lower blood oxygen
levels, causing strain on the heart.
Muscles can tense in order to keep airflow to the lungs;
this can result in patients feeling tired and sleepy during
the day and having interrupted sleep at night. The
performance of the person in day to day activities is
reduced and the impact in the life quality is significant.
The commonest causes of snoring and/or OSA in
children are:
- Enlarged tonsils and adenoids
- Nasal allergy with enlarged adenoids
Treatment of OSA in children is adenoidectomy and
tonsillectomy or tonsillotomy
Commonest causes of snoring and / or OSA in adults
are:
- Nasal septal deviation
- Nasal polyps
- Long uvula and lax soft palate
- Enlarged tonsils
- Obstruction at the back of the tongue
- Obesity
Treatment for OSA is mainly:
- significant weight loss
- exercise and
- CPAP (the use of a device that provides oxygen via
a nasal/face mask during sleep given by a
respiratory physician following a sleep study)
Treatment for snoring, when weight loss and exercise
do not improve the symptoms, is mainly surgical.
Nasal Surgery. For nasal conditions, a septoplasty or
endoscopic polypectomy is needed.
Palatal Surgery. This is very frequently used in
addressing the problem of snoring, as the palate is the
most usual level of obstruction. Palatal surgery may
involve just the uvula and soft palate (uvulo-palato-
plasty) or a more extensive procedure reshaping the
uvula, soft palate and removing the tonsils (uvulo-
palato-pharyngoplasty).
Tongue Surgery. For obstruction at the back of the
tongue, a mandibular advancement device (splint) can
be used. Also, radio-frequency is used to reduce the
size of the back of the tongue under general
anaesthesia.
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