Adult Obstructive Sleep Apnea: A Practical Guide for the Allergist

Jalal Moolji; Adil Adatia

doi:10.58931/cait.2024.4163

Authors

Jalal Moolji, MD Division of Pulmonary Medicine, Department of Medicine, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB, Canada
Adil Adatia, MD Division of Pulmonary Medicine, Department of Medicine, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.58931/cait.2024.4163

Abstract

Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is a common sleep disorder, affecting 15-30% of males and 10-15% of females in North America. OSA is characterized by the recurrent obstruction of the upper airway during sleep resulting in apneas and hypopneas. OSA can be diagnosed using a home sleep apnea test (i.e., a level 3 sleep study) or a polysomnogram (PSG) (i.e., a level 1 study or PSG) in a supervised sleep laboratory which quantifies the number of apneas and hypopneas per hour using the apnea-hypopnea index (AHI). In broad terms, the diagnosis is made when an individual with symptoms or cardiac risk factors has an AHI of ≥5, or an asymptomatic individual has an AHI of ≥15. Continuous Positive Airway Pressure (CPAP) is considered the first-line treatment of OSA. Other treatment options include an oral appliance called a mandibular advancement device, or multilevel surgery of the upper airway, especially uvulopalatopharyngoplasty (UPPP). Herein we review OSA in the context of conditions commonly observed in the allergy clinic, namely asthma, chronic rhinosinusitis, rhinitis, and contact dermatitis.

Author Biographies

Jalal Moolji, MD, Division of Pulmonary Medicine, Department of Medicine, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB, Canada

Dr. Jalal Moolji is a Clinical Lecturer in the Division of Pulmonary Medicine at the University of Alberta. He works at the University Sleep Disorders Clinic where he evaluates patients with sleep-disordered breathing, parasomnias, central disorders of hypersomnolence, insomnia, and circadian rhythm disorders, and interprets polysomnograms. He is also a member of the multidisciplinary neuromuscular diseases clinic where he cares for patients with congenital muscular dystrophies experiencing chronic respiratory failure or impaired cough. He continues to practice as a general respirologist and contributes to the work of the severe asthma research group.

Adil Adatia, MD, Division of Pulmonary Medicine, Department of Medicine, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB

Dr. Adil Adatia is an assistant professor in the Department of Medicine at the University of Alberta. He studied medicine at the University of Saskatchewan, internal medicine at the University of Alberta, and clinical immunology and allergy at McMaster University. He subsequently completed a translational asthma research fellowship at McMaster University, where he was supported by a prestigious Canadian Institutes of Health Research award. His clinical and research interests include asthma, inborn errors of immunity, and hereditary angioedema.

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Adult Obstructive Sleep Apnea: A Practical Guide for the Allergist

Authors

DOI:

Abstract

Author Biographies

Jalal Moolji, MD, Division of Pulmonary Medicine, Department of Medicine, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB, Canada

Adil Adatia, MD, Division of Pulmonary Medicine, Department of Medicine, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB

References

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