www.womanthismonth.com 69 June 2015 showcase Patients with sleep apnoea have a narrow air passage surrounded by flabby soft tissues. While breathing, as the air passes through the narrow air passage, the flabby tissue tends to get sucked in and causes an obstruction in breathing. This leads to a ‘choking spell’ causing the sufferer to jerk awake, as the survival mechanism kicks in. Upon awakening, the soft tissues become taut again and the airway opens up. Such multiple awakenings make the patient feel tired and sleepy throughout the day despite a good eight hours of sleep. Sufferers can doze off while driving, during meetings or at work and studies have shown that OSA can also lead to various heart ailments such as hypertension and arrhythmias. “At Royal Bahrain Hospital (RBH), we comprehensively diagnose and manage these patients,” says specialist ear, nose and throat surgeon Dr Avneesh Kumar. “The patients go through a detailed check-up which includes assessment of the upper airway followed by a full-night sleep study. Once diagnosed, the patient undergoes a further in-lab sleep study called a Titration Study.” RBH offers a variety of medical and surgical treatments for patients suffering from OSA and has successfully treated a number of patients over the last four years. Call 17 246-800 for appointments. If you start your day feeling tired, feel sleepy all day, snore loudly or wake up frequently at night for no reason, you may be suffering from obstructive sleep apnoea (OSA). ROYAL BAHRAIN HOSPITAL SLEEP LIKE A BABY Loud snoring, choking during sleep or daytime sleepiness could be a symptom of OSA. Dr Avneesh Kumar. Department of Ear, Nose & Throat
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