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Obstructive sleep apnoea kills while you sleep …
World Sleep Day tomorrow
The Sleep Assembly of the Sri Lanka College of Pulmonologists will launch sleepbetter.lk web page tomorrow (18) to coincide with the World Sleep Day.
Dr. Chandimani Undugodage, Consultant Respiratory Physician and Senior Lecturer Faculty of Medical Sciences, University of Sri Jayawardenepura says Obstructive Sleep Apnoea (OSA) makes people vulnerable to diabetes, high blood pressure, heart attacks or strokes.
Addressing the media at Ramada on Tuesday (15), Dr. Undugodage said that snoring at night, sleeping during daytime and being overweight could be symptoms of one having OSA.
What is OSA?
Obstructive sleep Apnoea is a condition where you stop breathing during sleep. This occurs as a result of temporary closure of the upper airway that carry air to the lungs. Obesity is commonest risk factor for development of OSA.
What happens in OSA?
The airway that carries air to the lungs passes through the throat or the upper airway. When a person gains weight there is a lot of fat deposited in the neck, which makes the upper airway narrow.
When a person is awake, the airway is kept open by the muscles of the throat. But when he goes to sleep all the muscles relax and the already narrow airway becomes even narrower. When air passes in and out through this narrow airway it makes a noise, which is what snoring is. As the person goes into deep sleep, the muscles of the throat relax further and the airway becomes narrower; at one point the airway completely closes; then there is no movement of air in to the lungs and the person completely stops breathing. This is known as an “apnoea”
When this happens there is no air/oxygen going in to the lungs; which results in low levels of oxygen in the blood, brain and other organs. When the brain senses that the person is not breathing, it immediately brings the person from deep sleep to light sleep, or completely wakes that person up. Then the airway opens out and the person starts to breathe again. In those with OSA this happens over and over again in the night. Which leads many awakenings, with very little uninterrupted deep sleep. In the morning the person wakes up feeling unrefreshed and is sleepy during the day. This can result in loss of productivity during the day. Especially by falling asleep during work, at meetings and even while driving leading to road traffic accidents.
An episode of obstructive apnoea where the throat closes during sleep is comparable to strangulation. Imagine if someone strangles you, what will happen? You will panic, your heart rate will go up, blood pressure will go up and you would be under a lot of stress. A similar situation occurs during an apnoea in OSA. It produces a stressful situation in the body. There is release of stress hormones in to the blood. This leads to elevated blood pressure and blood sugar. With time this leads is development of diabetes and high blood pressure (hypertension). There is also a higher risk of getting a heart attack, stroke, abnormal heart rhythms (arrhythmias) and dying suddenly while asleep (sudden cardiac death). OSA patients can also suffer from impotence. With time they become forgetful and there can be changes in their personality
When should you suspect OSA?
How is OSA diagnosed?
If you think you have OSA, you have to talk to your doctor. He or she will refer you to a specialist. A comprehensive sleep assessment will be done to look for other sleep related disorders. An overnight sleep study will be done to look for OSA. This is a simple test where your breathing, air flow, oxygen levels and heart rate are monitored and recorded. Once the data is looked at whether you have OSA or not can be determined.
How is OSA treated?
As OSA is about the closure of the throat during sleep, the treatment is aimed at keeping the throat open. The two main ways of treatment that is available in Sri Lanka are treatment with Continuous Positive Airway Pressure ventilation (CPAP) and surgery. CPAP – this is a small machine with a mask. The person wears the mask when going to sleep. The machine produces a jet of air which splints the airway open, without letting it close. Snoring stops immediately and the person wakes up refreshed in the morning
Surgery – surgical therapy is aimed at making the airway larger and thereby stopping the airway from closing. There are many types of surgeries available.
In addition weight reduction by diet and exercise is advised.
The U.S. Embassy in Colombo welcomed the U.S. Sports Envoys to Sri Lanka, former National Basketball Association (NBA) and Women’s National Basketball Association (WNBA) players Stephen Howard and Astou Ndiaye, from June 8 through 14.
The Public Diplomacy section of the U.S. Embassy said that it would launch a weeklong basketball program intended to harness the unifying power of sports, made possible through collaboration with Foundation of Goodness and IImpact Hoop Lab.
While in Sri Lanka, Howard and Ndiaye, both retired professional basketball players, will conduct a weeklong program, Hoops for Hope: Bridging Borders through Basketball. The Sports Envoys will lead basketball clinics and exhibition matches and engage in leadership sessions in Colombo and Southern Province for youth aged 14-18 from Northern, Uva, Eastern and Western Provinces, offering skills and leadership training both on and off the court. The U.S. Envoys will also share their expertise with the Sri Lanka Basketball Federation, national coaches, and players, furthering the development of basketball in the country. Beyond the clinics, they will collaborate with Sri Lankan schoolchildren to take part in a community service project in the Colombo area.
“We are so proud to welcome Stephen and Astou as our Sports Envoys to Sri Lanka, to build on the strong people-to-people connections between the United States and Sri Lanka,” said U.S. Ambassador Julie Chung. “The lessons that will be shared by our Sports Envoys – communication, teamwork, resilience, inclusion, and conflict resolution – are essential for leadership development, community building, equality, and peace. The U.S. Sports Envoy program is a testament to our belief that sports can be a powerful tool in promoting peace and unity.”
SJB Colombo District MP Mujibur Rahuman in parliament demanded to know from the government the reasons for CEB suspending the leave of all its employees until further notice from Thursday.
MP Rahuman said that the CEB has got an acting General Manager anew and the latter yesterday morning issued a circular suspending leave of all CEB employees with immediate effect until further notice.
“We demand that Minister Kanchana Wijesekera should explain this to the House. This circular was issued while this debate on the new Electricity Amendment Bill was pending. There are many who oppose this Bill. The Minister must tell parliament the reason for the urge to cancel the leave of CEB employees,” the MP said.However, Speaker Mahinda Yapa Abeywardena prevented Minister Wijesekera responding to the query and said that the matter raised by MP Rahuman was not relevant.
The Chartered Institute of Personnel Management (CIPM) successfully concluded the 8th Annual CIPM Symposium, which took place on 31st May 2024. Themed “Nurturing the Human Element—Redefining HRM in a Rapidly Changing World,” the symposium underscored the pivotal role of human resource management (HRM) in today’s dynamic global landscape. Since its inception in 1959, CIPM has been dedicated to advancing the HR profession through education, professional development, and advocacy, solidifying its position as Sri Lanka’s leading professional body for HRM.
Ken Vijayakumar, the President of the CIPM, graced the occasion as the chief guest. The symposium commenced with the welcome address by the Chairperson, Prof. Arosha Adikaram, followed by the Web Launch of the Symposium Proceedings and Abstract Book by the CIPM President. The event featured distinguished addresses, including a speech by Chief Guest Ken Vijayakumar, President of CIPM, and an address by Guest of Honor Shakthi Ranatunga, Chief Operating Officer of MAS Holdings Pvt. Ltd., Sri Lanka.
The symposium also featured an inspiring keynote address by Prof. Mario Fernando, Professor of Management and Director of the Centre for Cross Cultural Management (CCCM) at the University of Wollongong, Australia.
Vote of Thanks of the inauguration session was delivered by Dr. Dillanjani Weeratunga, Symposium Co-chair.
The symposium served as a comprehensive platform for researchers to present their findings across a wide range of critical topics in HRM. These included Cultural Diversity and Inclusion, Talent Development and Retention, Ethical Leadership and Corporate Social Responsibility, Adapting to Technological Advancements, Mental Health and Well-being at Work, Global Workforce Challenges, Employee Empowerment, and Reskilling and Upskilling.
The plenary session was led by Prof. Wasantha Rajapakse. Certificates were awarded to the best paper presenters during the valedictory session, followed by a vote of thanks delivered by Kamani Perera, Manager of Research and Development.
The annual symposium of CIPM was a truly inclusive event, attracting a diverse audience that spanned undergraduates, graduates, working professionals, research scholars and lecturers. This widespread interest highlights the symposium’s significance in the field of HRM, offering a unique opportunity for everyone to network and learn from scholarly brains.The CIPM International Research Symposium was sponsored by Hambantota International Port, Sri Lanka Institute of Information Technology (SLIIT), E B Creasy & Co. PLC, and Print Xcel Company.
US sports envoys to Lanka to champion youth development
Rahuman questions sudden cancellation of leave of CEB employees
