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People with sleep apnoea are much more likely to have a road accident and it can play a part in the development of hypertension, heart disease and stroke.

Allan Robins is the secretary of the Humber Sleep Apnoea Support Group which offers a hotline for people to call who have questions or queries about this condition. Something he's qualified to talkΜύabout as he's had to deal with sleep apnoea for some time now. It's caused by closure of the upper airway during sleep. The obstruction interrupts breathing, preventing air from entering the lungs and forcing the person to wake briefly before falling back to sleep again. This can occur hundreds of times a night without the sufferer realising, leading to poor sleep quality and severe sleepiness during the day. Symptoms of sleep apnoea include heavy snoring, daytime sleepiness and poor concentration.

It's a condition which is difficult to diagnose and Allan says that although traditionally this affected people of approaching middle-age it's becoming more prevalent in younger people. Allan himself wasΜύ diagnosed in his thirties. Before his diagnosis, he and his wife Daphne went through some difficult times. Allan would often wake up in extreme pain due to cramps from lack of oxygen. His wife Daphne had become aware that there was a problem when she realised she couldn't hear him breathing at times when he was asleep. She recorded him using a small dictation machine and was able to play the recording to medical practitioners who were able to make an accurate assessment of his condition.

As you can see from Allan's picture, which was taken at the start of his treatment with CPAP (Continuous Positive Airway Pressure), the patient is very tired and is subject to significant weight gain as extreme fatigue due to lack of sleep makes it impossible to exercise. The condition is quite debilitating and some professions exclude sleep apnoea patients. In the photo Allan, Daphne and her brother were just about to embark on a driving tour of a large area of the United States. Allan had just got his CPAP machine and he was just getting used to it so it was quite a big step as they were all sharing the driving.

The CPAP machine

The machine which has just been recommended by NICE (National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence) to be made available on the NHS. Professor John Gibson, Chair of the Sleep Apnoea Group of the British Thoracic Society said: β€œThis is excellent news for people suffering from sleep apnoea and for society as a whole. Previously only half of those diagnosed with the condition in the UK have been able to access clinically proven treatment for the condition. This decision will not only improve the quality of life of people with sleep apnoea but also should reduce road traffic accidents caused by excessive sleepiness.”

Allan's delighted the machine which is used every night is now recognised as being of tremendous value to sleep apnoea sufferers and should now become more widely available. Allan's machine accompanies him wherever he travels. Often he and Daphne visit her home country of South Africa and the machine has to be accommodated. He says it's made a world of difference to their lives. Physically he's more fitΜύ and mentally more focused. The local support group is there to help people who need help getting used to the machine and give people advice on sleep apnoea.