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Fighting fatigue from two conditions at once

Health & Medical

ENJOYING a good night’s rest may become easier for sufferers of two common sleep disorders.

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A new remedy may be discovered for sufferers of insomnia and obstructive sleep apnoea (OSA) as research is being conducted in South Australia into treating both of these conditions simultaneously.

The link between insomnia and sleep apnoea is only a recent discovery so treatments for the two problems have not yet been treated as one issue.

Internationally renowned sleep disorder specialists Professor Doug McEvoy and Professor Leon Lack from the Flinders University are leading the study that looks into a treatment for people who suffer from both problems.

 “The vast majority of clinics deal with OSA but if the patient has both OSA and insomnia there are very few resources to treat it,” Professor Leon Lack said.

Around a third of people with insomnia have sleep apnoea and about a third of people with sleep apnoea have insomnia.

This clinical sleep trial will be the first to attempt to treat both insomnia and sleep apnoea at once.

Sleep apnoea occurs when the walls of the throat close together blocking the airway during sleep. This generates frequent stops in breathing and as a result the brain will send a wake up call. This is the cause of fragmented sleep and the associated issues.

Individuals suffering from one or both of these sleep problems face an increased health risk including high blood pressure and heart disease. By treating both of these problems concurrently the study hopes to improve the quality of life and reduce the health risks for sufferers.

The study is currently signing up patients for the clinical trial in Adelaide, South Australia: http://www.adelaidesleephealth.org.au/

This is a Creative Commons story from The Lead South Australia, a news service providing stories about innovation in South Australia. Please feel free to use the story in any form of media. The story sources are linked in with the copy and all contacts are willing to talk further about the story. Copied to Clipboard

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