Obstructive Sleep Apnoea: Your Guide to Symptoms, Risks, and Treatment
Learn about obstructive sleep apnoea, including its symptoms, risks, and effective treatments. Discover how to identify, manage, and improve your sleep and overall health.
Written by Dr. Mohammed Kamran
Reviewed by Dr. Rohinipriyanka Pondugula MBBS
Last updated on 23rd Sep, 2025
Introduction
Do you wake up feeling exhausted despite a full night's sleep? Does your partner complain about your loud, disruptive snoring? You might be among the millions unknowingly living with Obstructive sleep apnoea (OSA), a common but serious sleep disorder. Far more than just snoring, OSA is characterised by repeated interruptions in breathing throughout the night, preventing your body and brain from getting the restorative rest they need. This lack of oxygen can have profound effects on your daily energy, mood, and long-term health, increasing the risk for heart disease, stroke, and diabetes. This guide will serve as your comprehensive introduction to obstructive sleep apnoea, breaking down its causes, helping you identify the warning signs, and exploring the most effective diagnosis and treatment options available today. Understanding this condition is the first crucial step toward reclaiming your sleep and your health.
What is Obstructive Sleep Apnoea (OSA)?
Obstructive sleep apnoea is a sleep-related breathing disorder where the muscles in the back of your throat relax too much during sleep. This relaxation causes a physical blockage or obstruction of your airway. When you try to breathe, the air struggles to get past the blockage, leading to loud snoring, choking, or snorting sounds as your body fights to reopen the airway. These breathing pauses, known as apnoeas, can last from 10 seconds to over a minute and can happen hundreds of times a night.
Each apnoea event starves your body of oxygen, forcing your brain to briefly awaken you (often so slightly you don't remember it) to restart breathing. This constant cycle of sleeping, waking, and sleeping again fragments your sleep architecture, preventing you from reaching the deep, restorative stages of sleep. This is why people with OSA often feel profoundly tired even after what seems like a full night in bed. It’s not the quantity of sleep that’s the problem, but the severely compromised quality.
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Common Signs and Symptoms of OSA
Recognising the symptoms is vital for seeking timely help. They can be categorised into those noticed during sleep and those affecting your waking hours.
Symptoms During Sleep
Loud, persistent snoring: Often the most noticeable sign to a bed partner.
Witnessed breathing pauses: A partner may see you stop breathing, followed by a gasp or choke.
Choking or gasping sounds: Your body's reflex to restart breathing.
Restless sleep: Tossing and turning throughout the night.
Frequent trips to the bathroom: Nocturia (waking up to urinate) is a common but less-known symptom.
Daytime Symptoms
Excessive daytime sleepiness: Falling asleep at work, while watching TV, or, dangerously, while driving.
Morning headaches: Caused by fluctuating oxygen and carbon dioxide levels.
Dry mouth or sore throat upon waking: From sleeping with your mouth open to breathe.
Difficulty concentrating, memory problems, and irritability: Cognitive effects of poor sleep.
Decreased libido or sexual dysfunction.
Causes and Risk Factors for Obstructive Sleep Apnoea
OSA occurs when the muscles supporting the soft tissues in your throat—like the tongue, soft palate, and uvula—temporarily relax. When these muscles relax, your airway narrows or closes as you breathe in, hampering your breathing for a brief period. Several factors that increase risk contribute to this airway collapse:
Excess Weight: Obesity is a leading risk factor. Fat deposits around the upper airway can directly obstruct breathing.
Neck Circumference: A thicker neck might mean a narrower airway. Risk increases in men with a neck circumference greater than 17 inches and women greater than 16 inches.
A Narrowed Airway: You might have inherited a naturally narrow throat. Enlarged tonsils or adenoids can also block the airway, especially in children.
Hypertension (High Blood Pressure): OSA is remarkably common in people with hypertension.
Chronic Nasal Congestion: Whether from anatomy or allergies, constant nasal congestion doubles your risk, as it forces you to breathe through your mouth.
Diabetes, Asthma, and a Family History of sleep apnoea also increase susceptibility.
Lifestyle Factors: Smoking, alcohol consumption, and use of sedatives can relax throat muscles, worsening OSA.
Potential Health Complications of Untreated OSA
Leaving OSA untreated is dangerous. The chronic strain of repeated oxygen deprivation puts immense stress on your cardiovascular system and overall health. Serious health complications include:
Cardiovascular Problems: Sudden drops in blood oxygen levels increase blood pressure and strain the cardiovascular system, significantly raising the risk of hypertension, heart attack, stroke, and atrial fibrillation.
Type 2 Diabetes: OSA increases insulin resistance and is a major risk factor for developing type 2 diabetes.
Metabolic Syndrome: This cluster of conditions—including high blood pressure, abnormal cholesterol, high blood sugar, and increased waist circumference—is strongly linked to OSA.
Liver Problems: People with OSA are more likely to have abnormal results on liver function tests.
Complications with Medications and Surgery: OSA is a concern for sedation and pain medications, which can further relax the airway.
How is Sleep Apnoea Diagnosed?
If your symptoms suggest OSA, a doctor will likely recommend a sleep study, known as a polysomnogram. This can be done:
In a Sleep Lab: You stay overnight at a specialised clinic where sensors monitor your brain waves, eye movements, heart rate, breathing effort, airflow, and blood oxygen levels while you sleep.
Home Sleep Apnoea Testing (HSAT): For likely moderate to severe cases, you may be given a portable monitor to use at home. It tracks fewer parameters but is convenient for diagnosis.
The results are used to calculate your apnoea-hypopnea index (AHI)—the number of apnoeas (pauses) and hypopneas (shallow breathing events) per hour. This score determines the severity of your OSA:
Mild OSA: AHI of 5-15 events per hour.
Moderate OSA: AHI of 15-30 events per hour.
Severe OSA: AHI of more than 30 events per hour.
If your condition does not improve after trying lifestyle methods, or if you experience loud snoring and daytime fatigue, consult a sleep specialist online with Apollo24|7 for further evaluation and to discuss the need for a sleep study.
Effective Treatment Options for OSA
Fortunately, numerous effective treatments for sleep apnoea exist, ranging from lifestyle modifications to medical devices.
Lifestyle Changes and Home Remedies
For mild cases, lifestyle changes can be very effective:
Weight Loss: Even a 10% reduction in weight can have a major effect on OSA severity.
Exercise: Regular activity can improve symptoms even without weight loss.
Positional Therapy: Sleeping on your side instead of your back can prevent the tongue and soft palate from collapsing into the airway.
Avoid Alcohol and Sedatives: Especially before bedtime, as they relax throat muscles.
Quit Smoking: Smoking increases inflammation and fluid retention in the upper airway.
Medical Therapies
CPAP (Continuous Positive Airway Pressure): The gold standard treatment for moderate to severe OSA. A machine delivers a continuous stream of air through a mask, acting as a pneumatic splint to keep your airway open throughout the night.
Oral Appliances (Mandibular Advancement Devices): Designed by dentists, these devices look like sports mouthguards and work by slightly repositioning your jaw or tongue to keep the airway open. They are effective for mild to moderate OSA.
Surgical Procedures
Surgery is usually reserved for when other treatments have failed. Options include tissue removal, jaw repositioning, implants, or, in severe cases, creating a new air passageway (tracheostomy).
Living with and Managing Obstructive Sleep Apnoea
A diagnosis of OSA is not a life sentence of fatigue; it's the beginning of a managed condition. Successful management involves:
Adherence to Therapy: Consistently using your CPAP or oral appliance is crucial.
Regular Follow-ups: Seeing your doctor to monitor your progress and adjust treatment as needed.
Educating Your Family: Helping your partner and family understand the condition makes them powerful allies in your health journey.
Prioritising Sleep Hygiene: Creating a cool, dark, and quiet sleep environment supports your overall sleep quality alongside your OSA treatment.
Conclusion
Obstructive sleep apnoea is a pervasive and serious condition that robs you of quality sleep and silently jeopardises your long-term health. However, as this guide has shown, it is also a highly manageable disorder. From recognising the classic symptoms like loud snoring and daytime exhaustion to understanding the diagnostic process and the range of effective treatments available—from CPAP therapy to lifestyle adjustments—you are now equipped with knowledge. Ignoring the signs can lead to severe cardiovascular and metabolic complications. Taking action, by contrast, leads to more energy, better mood, sharper thinking, and a significantly reduced risk of associated diseases. If anything in this article resonates with your experience, do not hesitate to take that first step. Your journey to restful nights and healthier days begins with a conversation with a healthcare professional.
Consult a Specialist for the best advice
Consult a Specialist for the best advice
Dr. P Sravani
Pulmonology Respiratory Medicine Specialist
3 Years • MBBS, MD
Visakhapatnam
Apollo Clinic Vizag, Visakhapatnam
Dr. Hyder
Pulmonology Respiratory Medicine Specialist
5 Years • MBBS, MD (PULMONOLOGY)
Guntur
Kalam chest and multi-speciality clinic, Guntur
Dr Rakesh Bilagi
Pulmonology Respiratory Medicine Specialist
10 Years • MBBS MD PULMONOLOGIST
Bengaluru
Apollo Clinic, JP nagar, Bengaluru
Dr. E Prabhakar Sastry
General Physician/ Internal Medicine Specialist
40 Years • MD(Internal Medicine)
Manikonda Jagir
Apollo Clinic, Manikonda, Manikonda Jagir
(150+ Patients)
Dr. Gomathi R G
Respiratory Medicine/ Covid Consult
7 Years • MBBS, MD (TB & Pul. Med.)
Chennai
Apollo First Med Hospitals P H Road, Chennai
Frequently Asked Questions
1. Can children have obstructive sleep apnoea?
2. Is it possible to have sleep apnoea if I don’t snore?
While snoring is a very common symptom, it is possible to have OSA without loud snoring. This is more typical in certain populations, like women. The key indicator is often excessive daytime sleepiness, even without noted snoring.
3. What is the main difference between obstructive and central sleep apnoea?
Obstructive sleep apnoea (OSA) is a mechanical problem where the airway is blocked but the brain is trying to breathe. Central sleep apnoea (CSA) is a communication problem where the brain fails to send the proper signals to the muscles that control breathing.
4. Will using a CPAP machine cure my sleep apnoea?
CPAP does not cure sleep apnoea; it effectively manages it. As long as you use the device, your symptoms are controlled and your health risks are reduced. If you stop using it, the symptoms and health risks will return.
5. Are there any natural remedies for mild sleep apnoea?
For very mild cases, lifestyle changes like significant weight loss, positional therapy (side-sleeping), and avoiding alcohol before bed can serve as effective natural remedies. However, these should be pursued under a doctor's guidance and are often not sufficient for moderate or severe OSA.