Condition Bappi Lahiri was suffering from

• Singer and music composer Bappi Lahiri (69) passed away following complications from Obstructive Sleep Apnoea (OSA), bringing attention to a widely prevalent but under-diagnosed medical condition.

Obstructive Sleep Apnoea (OSA)

• Disorder in which a person’s breathing stops and starts repeatedly in their sleep.
• Occurs when muscles in the throat and upper airway relax intermittently during sleep and block the airway.
• Although the condition doesn’t kill by itself, it can lead to heart attacks and strokes due to the low oxygen level. In the long run, it can also result in increasing blood pressure, abnormal heart rhythms, and other metabolic disorders.
• It further leads to an increase in obesity, compounding the problem.
• OSA also leads to a lot of road traffic accidents as people with OSA tend to doze off while driving. OSA is the most common cause of road accident in the US.

How common it is?

• It usually happens in obese men, less commonly in women but it does happen When a person is obese, they develop extra fat on their larynx and pharynx (muscles in the throat) that can close off their airway in sleep.
• The prevalence of OSA is 4% among women and 13.4% among men.
• The prevalence in people younger than 40 years of age is about 10% and in those over age 40 is 17%.
• “It is under-diagnosed, especially in smaller cities.

When should you go to a doctor?

• Snoring is one of the most common symptoms of OSA, but not everyone who snores has it.
• Nine out of 10 persons who snore do not have the condition, but you should definitely check in with the doctor if you feel groggy or sleepy in the morning and doze off during the day

How can OSA be treated or controlled?

• The prevalence of OSA in India is going up hand in hand with increasing obesity, and doctors believe the best way to reduce symptoms of OSA is to lose weight.
• For treatment, the best method is to use a CPAP (Continuous Positive Airway Pressure) therapy.