Sleepless in Chennai : An increasing number of people are diagnosed with sleep disorders
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The most essential part of physical and emotional growth in a person is adequate sleep. But the number of people suffering from sleep disorder in Chennai is increasing at an alarming rate. Out of various sleeping disorders diagnosed by the doctors, sleep apnea or the pickwickian syndrome seems to be the most common form of sleeping disorder. “Out of all the patient who visit my clinic, at least five of them are diagnosed with sleeping disorders daily. And two to three of them are diagnosed with sleep apnea,” says Dr N. Ramakrishnan, Director of Nithra Institute of Sleep Sciences.
Sleep Apnea is a condition that causes brief cessations in breathing during sleep. Loud snoring, excessive daytime sleeping, morning headaches and awakening with a dry mouth characterise sleep apnea. If it goes unchecked, it may lead to hypertension, heart disease, and stroke. “ I was silently suffering from this disorders for past 11 years. I went to a couple of doctors but they could not diagnose what was wrong with me. Then my problem was diagnosed last year and I am under medication. Everything is under control now. If this goes untreated, it will affect the brain by weakening it. It is a very serious matter as one might dose off even while driving cars or while waiting at the signal. This is the one of the leading causes for road accidents, “says Robin, 31.
Sleep apnea is a problem that is significantly under-recognised by both doctors and patients. Snoring is no laughing matter. It can be the warning sign of something serious,” says Dr Ramakrishnan. But studies have proven that if sleep apnea is treated properly, it reduces the risks of life threatening diseases.
The most common reasons given for sleep apnea is obesity, high intake of caffeine, excessive smoking and intake of alcohol, depression and hypertension. Sleep hygiene goes a long way to prevent sleep disorders. Apart from that medication and therapy helps a patient to recover from that condition.
“My husband had this terrible snoring and breathing
problem. One may mistake a sleep apnea patient for being lazy or lethargic, but
only the patient and his family know the traumatic part of it. I used to get up
in the nights and touch my husband’s chest to see if he’s breathing or not.
When we went to