Obstructive Sleep Apnoea- Prevalence, Diagnosis and Its Relationship With Stress- A Review of Literature

Abstract

BACKGROUNDObstructive sleep apnoea and hypopnoea syndrome is mainly due to repeated airway collapse during sleep. There are many aetiological factors associated with this disease. The main causative factor being reduced expansion of the pharyngeal muscles, anatomical structures associated and altered respiratory function, which has direct impact on air required for breathing, thereby leading to sleep disturbances. Other causes being macroglossia, tonsillar hypertrophy and structural skeletal disfigurement such as micrognathia and retrognathia. Obesity is one of the risk factors as the neck circumference narrows the airway space, thereby increasing difficulty in breathing, and snoring. This article reviews the diagnosis, treatment and epidemiology of obstructive sleep apnoea.