Abstract
Obstructive sleep disordered breathing (OSDB) is a collective term that encompasses a spectrum of
disorders which can range from primary snoring and upper airway resistance syndrome (UARS) to
varying levels of severity of obstructive sleep apnea syndrome (OSAS). Snoring is a common problem
encountered in Thailand and indicates upper airway obstruction. It is very annoying to patients’ bed
partners since it could deprive them of proper and restful sleep, which is essential to good health. If the
degree of such an obstruction is severe, it can lead to OSAS, which is a life-threatening condition. Recognition
of OSAS is important since it causes daytime somnolence, neurocognitive defects, chronic fatigue,
and depression. In addition, it can increase the risk of having traffic accidents, hypertension, cardiovascular
disease, stroke, pulmonary hypertension, and cardiac arrhythmia. The treatment options for OSDB
include weight loss, positional therapy, oral devices, continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP), and
surgery.
