Can a Deviated Septum Cause Sleep Apnoea?

When it comes to getting a good night's sleep, a deviated septum and sleep apnoea are two issues that can severely disrupt your quality of rest. If you wonder about “Can a deviated septum cause sleep apnoea?” Medstar is here to provide an accurate answer. As the leading Ear, Nose, and Throat (ENT) Clinic in London, Medstar Clinic understands the toll these conditions can take on one's health and daily functioning. 

In this article, we will explore the connections between a deviated septum and sleep apnoea, how to identify if you have these problems, and the various treatment options available—including both surgical and non-surgical approaches. 

By the end, you will have a better sense of if these could be factors in your sleep troubles and the steps to take to improve your sleep health. So let's get started with addressing the relationship between deviated septum and sleep apnoea!

Deviated Septum and Sleep Apnoea

To better understand the relationship between these issues, let's break down the individual conditions. Starting with a deviated septum, what causes it and how does it impact breathing? Some key points:

• A deviated septum is present from birth (congenital) in around 80% of cases. It can also result from nasal trauma or injury later in life.

• The septum, made of firm tissue and cartilage, divides the nasal cavity—but in a deviated septum, it is shifted to one side.

• This leaning tissue reduces the size of the nasal passage on that side, making breathing more difficult and often favouring nostril dominance (breathing through one side more than the other).

Moving to sleep apnoea, this occurs when breathing is intermittently stopped or limited during sleep due to airway obstruction. Symptoms of sleep apnoea include loud snoring, restless sleep, and daytime drowsiness. A major risk is lack of oxygen leading to health issues over time, like heart disease or diabetes, if left untreated.

So how might a deviated septum influence sleep apnoea? By restricting nasal breathing, it increases reliance on mouth breathing during sleep. This mouth-open position brings the base of the tongue further back—a primary cause of airway collapse and closure in sleep apnoea. 

Deviated septum patients also tend toward side sleeping, which can worsen this tongue positioning. The end result is a deviated septum may exacerbate existing apnoea or unmask mild or developing cases through these breathing changes.

While a deviated septum alone does not directly induce sleep apnoea, its nasal obstruction can promote unhealthy sleep habits, raising apnoea risk, so the two conditions often occur together, requiring coordinated treatment. Let's now look at identifying these problems!

How to Know If You Have a Deviated Septum?

For many, a deviated septum causes no noticeable issues. But some common signs that nasal breathing impairment may be present include:

• Nasal congestion or obstruction on one side

• Difficulty breathing through the nose, especially during exercise or sleep

• Frequent nosebleeds

• Tendency to breathe through the mouth instead of the nose

• Preference for sleeping on one side

• History of nasal/facial trauma, like a broken nose

• Snoring or noisy breathing (can be linked to a deviated septum worsening sleep apnoea)

One easy way to check for a possible deviated septum is using a nasal mirror to examine inside your nose. An ear, nose, and throat (ENT) doctor can also visually inspect the septum during an examination to assess any leaning or blockage present. 

Keep in mind that a minor deviation often has little impact, so only seek treatment if symptoms of deviated septum interfere with daily life. Staying well informed is key for monitoring your nasal health.

If you experience the symptoms that are mentioned above, Medstar Ear, Nose, and Throat (ENT) Clinic is here for you. Our doctors are experts in this medical speciality and offer excellent treatment solutions for ENT diseases, including deviated septum.

How is Sleep Apnoea Diagnosed?

If snoring or other signs point toward potential apnoea, a sleep study can provide an official diagnosis. Two main diagnostic tests of sleep apnoea include:

• Overnight Polysomnography: The gold standard study involves wearing various sensors and monitors to track breathing, oxygen levels, brain waves, and more during sleep at Sleep Clinic London.

• Home Sleep Apnoea Test: A less extensive but still accurate option involves portable breathing monitors worn for a night at home. Data is then sent to be analysed for apnoea severity.

By studying breathing patterns as you sleep, doctors can detect any pauses or limitations qualifying as apnoea episodes. Follow-up questioning also helps uncover daytime sleepiness or morning headaches indicative of interrupted breathing. 

An apnoea-hypopnoea index number quantifies weekly average episodes to gauge an individual's risk. Prompt diagnosis allows treatment before serious health issues develop. If you are also interested in other sleep problems due to ENT diseases, make sure to check out “Can Enlarged Adenoids Cause Coughing at Night?”.

How to Fix a Deviated Septum without Surgery?

While septoplasty aims to straighten a deviated septum for the long haul, non-surgical methods also provide temporary relief from obstruction symptoms. Some popular options to help you breathe easier include:

• Oral or nasal decongestant sprays: Containing xylometazoline or oxymetazoline, these constrict swollen tissues for 4-6 hours. Overuse risks rebound congestion.

• Antihistamines: Tablets treating allergy symptoms through histamine reduction can help declutter swelling.

• Saline irrigation or sinus rinses: A neti pot or squeeze bottle with saline solution cleanses out pollen, allergens, or irritants for soothing clear nasal passages.

• Intranasal corticosteroid sprays: Medications like fluticasone propionate thin mucus secretions when used regularly for allergy-driven inflammation.

• Nasal dilator strips: Adhesive patches worn over the nose externally widen nasal airways over hours rather than just minutes like sprays.

• Humidifiers: Adding moisture to bedroom air prevents dryness worsening congestive symptoms, especially in winter.

While these conservative approaches do not reposition the deviated septum, they may manage discomfort enough to avoid or delay surgery—helping nasal breathing and sleep in the interim. Consistent use paired with lifestyle changes forms a comprehensive nonoperative regimen.

Deviated Septum and Sleep Apnoea Treatment in London

Once a septal deviation and sleep apnoea are confirmed to be interacting, coordinated treatment options exist. Lifestyle changes aim to promote healthier nasal breathing and sleep positioning:

• Use of nasal strips, dilators, or sprays to help keep nasal passages open

• Avoiding sleeping on the back to reduce tongue relaxation

• Losing weight for those overweight

• Limiting alcohol and sedatives exacerbates airway collapse

For a deviated septum specifically, surgical correction through septoplasty is often pursued to resolve obstruction once and for all. A minor outpatient procedure, experienced ENT surgeons in London, like our doctors at Medstar Clinic, can safely straighten the nasal partition. Recovery takes around one to two weeks.

To manage sleep apnoea directly, continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) delivered via a sleep mask is considered the gold standard non-surgical treatment. By providing a constant flow of air, it prevents collapsing during sleep. Other oral devices work similarly with less intrusiveness. Radiofrequency tongue reduction and upper airway surgery are also options.

The takeaway is that in cases where a deviated septum nose problem and sleep apnoea co-exist, it is important patients receive coordinated ENT and sleep care. Combining nasal clearing techniques, apnoea therapies, and follow-ups can successfully resolve both conditions for improved well-being. 

At Medstar Clinic, we offer comprehensive services and lifelong guidance, so book an appointment online via our website or the Medstar app, which can be downloaded on the Google Play Store and App Store to discuss customised treatment. You can also contact us directly for all your questions. Your health and quality sleep are worthwhile priorities. Take a step for your sleep health today!

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