Obstructive Sleep Apnea Syndrome: A Pulmonology Perspective

Abstract

Among respiratory disorders which are related to sleeping, obstructive sleep apnea has the highest prevalence. It results in repeated cessation, followed by recommencement, of breathing during sleep. The International Classification of Sleep Disorders, Third Edition (ICSD-III), promulgated by the American Academy of Sleep Medicine (AASM), defines six categories of sleep disorder. One such category consists of “sleep-related breathing disorders” (SRBDs), which share a common feature that they affect breathing in patients who are asleep. This category is then divided into a further three sub-categories, namely, obstructive sleep apnea (OSA), central sleep apnea, sleep-related hypoventilation, and sleep-related hypoxemic disorders [1]. While ICSD-III uses the term “OSA disorders,” the synonymous term OSAS (obstructive sleep apnea syndrome) is frequently also employed to describe the condition. In OSAS, the upper airway may be completely obstructed or partially obstructed multiple times during sleep, resulting in apnea or hypopnea, respectively. The restricted airflow frequently leads to low levels of oxygen saturation, which causes the patient to be aroused from sleep. This frequent waking at night then generally results in the patient becoming excessively sleepy during the day. © Springer Nature Switzerland AG 2023.