The Obstructive Sleep Apnea Syndrome (OSAS)

Abstract

Respiratory disorders are a big issue that affects around 60% of the population all over the world. It varies from simple snoring up to severe stridor which appears mainly during sleep. The cause of all respiratory disorders depends on obstruction, vibration or both. We can also find respiratory disorders in some rare cases like Obesity Hypoventilation Syndrome or Multisystem Disease. The respiratory events start with simple snoring without symptoms of dyspnea or hypopnea. It may extend to arousals due to respiratory efforts (RERAs Syndrome). With more and more distress, the hypopnea (decrease in Oxygen) appears till complete apnea occurs with awakened stridor. The most common sequence of events in sleep respiratory disorders can be summarized into the following; simple snoring which leads to the increase in upper airway resistance and finally ending in a group of syndromes like OSAS (Apnea, Hypopnea, RERAs). In another sequence, snoring leads to Uvular Oedema which feels like morning Obstructive Sleep Hypopnea Apnea Syndrome (ObSHAS). This leads to increase in Arterial Hypertension which causes daytime sleepiness. There are a lot of complications in OSAS which maybe local complications in mouse, nose and chest, or CVS complications like Erythema or Hypertension or psychological problems like dizziness or loss of consciousness or daytime sleepiness. One of the most common problems is how to exactly detect the size and site of the obstruction of air flow. There are several methods like full history of the patient and the partner, full clinical examination, full radiological examination or fiber-optic endoscopic examination. The treatment is either medical or surgical according to the case.