How it’s treated

You have seen your GP and he has referred you to either the respiratory consultant at your local hospital or you have already chosen the hospital/sleep-unit you prefer by going to www.chooseandbook.nhs.uk.

So what comes next?

At your first meeting with a respiratory consultant he/she will recommend a number of tests that will determine how mild or how severe your sleep apnoea may be and decide from the results how it is to be treated.

You will undergo a combination of some or all of the following tests:

1. An Electro-Cardio-Graph (ECG test). This will show whether your heart is functioning normally.

2. A Lung Function Test to test how efficiently your lungs can take in air and expel carbon-dioxide.

3.A Polysomnography Test to monitor your breathing while you sleep.  This may take place at your home overnight or by spending a night in a sleep-clinic.

4. A Chest X-Ray to see that your lungs are healthy.

Once the results of these tests are available, your consultant will be able to make a precise diagnosis and prescribe a course of treatment.

If your OSA is diagnosed as ‘mild’ you will be prescribed either a Mandibular Advancement Device (MAD) which is a strap that fits around your lower jaw and keeps your mouth closed while you sleep, or a ‘SomnoDent’, a device that fits in your mouth while you sleep. Both these devices will keep the airway clear allowing a good night’s sleep and preventing ‘apnoeas’. If the ‘SomnoDent’ is the most likely treatment, you will probably be referred to a dental clinic for a fitting.

The most common treatment for OSA is CPAP-Therapy.

CPAP-Therapy involves having air blown under a light pressure into the lungs.  To achieve this, you have a small device that sits on your bedside-table with a hose connected to either a nasal mask or a full-face mask.  You wear the mask while you sleep.  The machine delivers constant positive airway pressure (CPAP) at a pre-determined rate throughout the night. The sleep-clinic treating you will establish the appropriate pressure-level for your needs.

This is the gold standard for OSA  treatment and is recommended by NICE as the recognised treatment for OSA where other devices do not cope.  The therapy may take a little while to get used to, but it has a life-transforming effect on those that use it.

Any feelings of lethargy and irritability will quickly disappear, you will no longer feel sleepy during the day, you will feel more like taking exercise, and you will more than likely lose weight.

A final word on surgery as a cure for OSA: surgical invasion is irrevocable and does not have a good enough rate of success to recommend as a suitable treatment.