Sleep Apnoea

Sleep apnoea effects over 100,000 people in Ireland and the overwhelming majority of them don’t even know they have this potentially life-threatening condition. However, lifestyle changes and a simple machine can make it more manageable.

If you find yourself falling asleep persistently during the day or feeling groggy it could be a sign that you’re struggling with sleep apnoea.

It is more common that most people realise as it goes largely undiagnosed – because most of us don’t know what happens when we sleep. In most cases it is spouses or partners who alert sufferers to their concerns having witnessed some of the common symptoms of sleep apnoea such as loud snoring, breathing pauses (which can be very frightening) and sudden wakefulness.

John McKiernan

WHAT IS SLEEP APNOEA?: In sleep apnoea there is a “repetitive collapse of the upper airway during sleep”. “This results in this common condition, the upper airway pinches closed repeatedly overnight, fragmenting sleep and starving the brain of oxygen”, according to Harvard Health (health.harvard.edu). There are two main types of sleep apnoea:

>>Obstructive Sleep Apnoea (OSA), more common and so-called due to upper airway obstruction

>>Central Sleep Apnoea is rarer and happens when your brain doesn’t send the correct signals to the muscles that control breathing.

The Irish Lung Foundation (ILF) says snoring is a common complaint related to sleep and while “almost all patients with obstructive sleep apnoea (OSA) snore, only a small proportion of all snorers have OSA”.

See list of symptoms in the table below.

PREVALENCE: According to the ILF sleep apnoea is much more common than was previously thought. “It is the second most common treatable respiratory illness after asthma”, it points out. While it can occur in people of all ages and genders, the ILF advises that “people most at risk of suffering from sleep apnoea are male, obese and of advancing age”.

TREATMENT: Harvard says weight loss and breathing assist therapy are the keys to overcoming sleep apnoea. “Lifestyle changes can sometimes improve OSA.

These include losing weight if you are overweight; avoiding alcohol in the evening, because it tends to worsen underlying apnoea; and sleeping on your side to help keep the airways open”, it advises. The most effective treatment for OSA, however, is wearing a facemask tethered to a bedside air pump, a system called continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) therapy. CPAP: A Continuous Positive Airway Pressure (CPAP) machine is a device that pushes oxygenated air through the nasal passages to keep them open and help obtain uninterrupted sleep. The equipment is a prescription therapy and must be prescribed by a medical consultant. The CPAP machine is made up of a pump that controls airflow, a tube that delivers the air, and a mask that is worn over the nose or mouth or both at night.

SYMPTOMS

The Irish Thoracic Society lists some of the symptoms as follows:

DAYTIME

>Excessive sleepiness

> Impaired performance

>Morning headache

> Intellectual deterioration

>Impaired memory

> Impaired concentration

> Depressive symptoms

>Heartburn

NIGHTTIME

>Snoring

> Apnoeas (breathing cessation)

>Restless sleep

>Insomnia

>Nocturnal choking

> Arousals (waking suddenly)

>Sweating

> Reduced libido/ impotence

PERSONAL EXPERIENCE: Twenty years ago, John McKiernan was diagnosed with this serious, potentially life-threatening condition. He also runs a successful eyewear company and prior to his diagnosis, he would regularly require driving breaks on sales trips around the country, pulling in for naps to fight off extreme daytime drowsiness caused by his interrupted sleep patterns every night. For many sleep apnoea patients, they have no recollection of their fitful sleep the next morning so it can be difficult to diagnose the problem. This was the case for John, who couldn’t understand his exhaustion every day as he didn’t recall his episodes when he woke up. Patients frequently are only alerted to their issue by a partner or family member.

“Prior to my diagnosis I was living in state of constant fatigue, my wife also suffered as I was keeping her awake every night with constant snoring, tossing and turning”, John recalls.

After sleep clinic trials, he was advised to try out a CPAP machine - and much to his relief it worked.

However, there is a barrier that can prohibit patients’ ease of access to this life-changing equipment according to John and that is the cost. Over the last number of years, John says he became increasingly frustrated by the expense of the machines and masks that are essential for his health and wellbeing so he resolved to do something about it.

“It was such a relief when I was diagnosed with sleep apnoea 20 years ago. In that time, I have purchased masks and machines from many of the leading suppliers and spent a small fortune in the process”, he says.

John, who has experience in the optical sector, decided to set up his own sleep apnoea therapy solutions and after considerable research, he identified a leader in respiratory care products and services.

“As importers and distributors for many years – importing optical goods to the Irish market we only deal with suppliers after visiting their factories” John explains.

“I travelled to Beijing and visited the BMC facility who produce sleep apnoea machines, masks and accessories. After seeing the professionalism of this facility along with their competitive prices I decided to import and distribute for this company”, John says

“We have hit the ground running from day one. It is simply about offering quality products and value for money. The consumer knows that makes sense. We have kept the website user friendly and we are on hand to assist anyone who needs it”.

In addition to John’s mission to provide more affordable prices to those suffering from sleep apnoea, he also wants to raise awareness of the condition for the many thousands of undiagnosed people whose quality of life can be transformed by diagnosis.

TESTIMONIAL: One of John’s customers is nurse Teresa Hoare. She is 58 years old and lives in Dublin and says she had “no idea” she had sleep apnoea before her diagnosis. “I knew I was exhausted, but I didn’t know what was causing it. There are a lot of people out there like me, who don’t know they have this”, Teresa says.

She experienced a loss of energy; she was struggling with lack of sleep. “Learning that it could be life-threatening was very frightening but getting a diagnosis and starting to use the machine (CPAP) has completely improved my quality of life. I don’t know how I would be alive today without the equipment – my breathing was stopping 30 times an hour every night before I used it”, she reveals.

Teresa found it very difficult trying to drive and work, so the CPAP machine has been a life saver in many respects.

For more visit sleepapneaireland.com and irishsleepsociety.org

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