There are circumstances when obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) and central sleep apnea (CSA) can simultaneously occur. This condition is called Complex Sleep Apnea. Read on to learn why you should visit an ENT doctor in Singapore.
Manifestation
Patients with this kind of sleep apnea in Singapore may appear to have obstructive sleep apnea at first. However, their symptoms are not satisfactorily addressed by continuous positive pressure ventilation (CPAP), unlike usual obstructive sleep apnea patients. Even after addressing the airway obstruction, breathing problems persist, indicating that the apnea is due to something other than collapsing throat muscles. Furthermore, there is still a lot of debate among sleep medicine experts about the cause of complex sleep apnea. There is also a debate about what the criteria for defining it are.
Treatment
Complex sleep apnea usually goes away with time, yet it still affects 2% of the population. Some patients might require getting alternative treatments to recover from their illnesses. Sleep fragmentation and oxygen desaturation may occur due to persistent apnea with a high residual AHI. It could result in daytime tiredness as well as other long-term health consequences.
Addressing the underlying causes of complex sleep apnea for patients in Singapore may be necessary for its resolution. Some circumstances require bilevel ST (choose a machine that can provide a timed breath rate during breath pauses) or adaptive servo-ventilation (ASV) therapy.
Dr Dennis Chua is a Singapore-based ENT and sinus expert from Mount Elizabeth Medical Centre. He believes in taking a holistic, multidisciplinary approach to personal health. Endoscopic, Robotic ENT/thyroid surgery, transoral robotic, and laser microsurgery were among his advanced ENT surgery skills.
Come to Dr Dennis Chua if you need an ear, nose and throat specialist or get sleep therapy at their clinic. Contact the clinic for any questions or would like to make an appointment.
Resource:
