Tag : CPAP

Lausanne: A study published in the journal ERJ Open Research suggested that treating obstructive sleep apnoea (OSA) can also lessen nighttime heartburn, coughing, and wheezing. People who have OSA frequently snore loudly, they may wake up multiple times during the night, and their breathing may start and stop. This results in fatigue in addition to raising the risk of high blood pressure, stroke, heart disease, and type 2 diabetes. Continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) machines work by blowing air through a face mask throughout the night to prevent the user’s airway from closing. CPAP is offered to people with OSA to help them sleep better, but the new research suggests that the treatment may bring extra benefits. The study was led by Professor Thorarinn Gislason, from the department of sleep at Landspitali – The National University Hospital of Iceland in Reykjavík. He said: “When we experience heartburn or acid reflux, we are feeling stomach acid travelling up toward the throat. People with obstructive sleep apnoea are three times more likely to suffer regularly with night-time heartburn. Respiratory symptoms, such as coughing and wheezing, are also more common.” Professor Gislason and his colleagues used data from the Icelandic Sleep Apnea Cohort study, including 822 patients diagnosed with moderate to severe OSA. Before starting CPAP treatment, the patients took part in an overnight sleep study and answered detailed sleep questionnaires, including whether they had heartburn or belching at night. Two years after beginning CPAP treatment, participants returned for a follow-up visit with new evaluation. Researchers were also able to measure how regularly each person used CPAP via data stored by the CPAP machines. The study showed ...