Patients’ symptoms as a reason for consulting a doctor and obtaining a diagnosis of obstructive sleep apnea

Abstract

Introduction/Objective Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is characterized by a number of symptoms of which the patient is sometimes not aware. The aim of this study was to determine the symptoms due to which patients came to our sleep department, and to examine to which extent patients’ self-awareness plays a role in diagnosing OSA.

Methods The study included 388 patients who came to the Sleep Department of the Clinic of Pulmonology, Skopje, Macedonia, from 2012 to 2016, with suspicion of OSA. Medical history was taken from all patients and polysomnography was performed in order to diagnose OSA. All patients with symptoms of OSA and Apnea–Hypopnea Index score of over 5 were diagnosed with OSA.

Results We identified a list of 23 symptoms that lead patients to visit a doctor. The most common symptom was snoring, which occurs in 86% of patients. It is followed by a feeling of under-sleeping with 68% and witnessed apnea with 63%. A total of 258 patients were diagnosed with OSA. The most important primary symptoms that led OSA-positive patients to our clinic were snoring, witnessed apnea, and daytime sleepiness. The percentage of snoring was decreasing with disease severity. Percentage of witnessed apnea and daytime sleepiness were increasing with disease severity. Self-awareness of symptoms led a majority of the patients to come to the Sleep Department.

Conclusion Patients who have symptoms such as snoring, witnessed apnea, and daytime sleepiness are likely to suffer from OSA. Most of the patients are aware of their symptoms and seek help from a doctor.

Keywords: sleep apnea; snoring; primary symptom