Obstructive Sleep Apnoea (OSA) is a sleep related respiratory condition, leading to repeated pauses in breathing because of a narrowing or closure of the upper airway during sleep, and disruption in the quality of sleep. Core symptoms of OSA include excessive daytime sleepiness, nocturia, morning headaches, difficulty concentrating; all quite non-specific.
The incidence of Obstructive sleep apnoea is on the rise, and evidence suggests that thousands of patients are undiagnosed and therefore untreated.
OSA is closely associated with serious health problems, including hypertension, diabetes, stroke and heart disease, so it is a significant health burden to the patient.
In this episode of the show, we explore how to identify patients with undiagnosed obstructive sleep apnoea so we can make a referral and get these patients the treatment that they need.
