Thousands of adults in Powys could be suffering from undiagnosed sleep apnoea, according to a local specialist.

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Kim Lewis, Specialised Respiratory Physiologist (pictured) with Powys Teaching Health Board runs a new service to help patients with the condition, with funding provided by the North Powys Wellbeing Programme.

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“We’re aware that a significant number of people in Powys have a diagnosis for this condition but if we look at the average rates for the UK, we’d expect that figure to be somewhere between 1,800 - 4,000 so we think that there are people in our county that we can help,” said Ms Lewis.

Sleep apnoea is a respiratory condition which happens when a person is asleep and his/her airways contract more often than is normal, reducing oxygen levels, increasing heart rate and often waking the individual up. As well as increasing tiredness, the condition is associated with hypertension, metabolic syndrome, diabetes, heart failure, coronary artery disease, arrhythmias, stroke, pulmonary hypertension, neurocognitive and mood disorders. It commonly negatively affects a person’s home-life due to being unable to perform normal daily activities, including working, as well as their counterparts who do not have the condition. It can also lead to the break-down of home life due to significant snoring and excessive day time tiredness.

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It's has been historically estimated that around 2% of women and 4% of men, over the age of 50 suffer from sleep apnoea although the figure, for females, increases post-menopausal (again, around 4%). Factors that influence its prevalence include obesity, increased age, gender, menopause and ethnicity. It can be a problem in pregnancy, too.

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“We’ve started a sleep diagnostic service in Powys. With the funding from the North Powys Wellbeing Programme we’ve managed to secure equipment to test people and we are now able to offer this service to any Powys resident remotely, so that they don’t have to travel to a particular hospital,” she added.

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“We’ve also linked up with PAVO in their Newtown hub. So, anyone in that area who isn’t particularly confident with technology, PAVO will be able to give them assistance.”

Typically, patients will be referred to Kim’s team by GPs who will then contact the patient to arrange a video consultation with them to discuss the testing equipment. Following on from the testing, the GP is then in a position to refer patients to appropriate specialist support if sleep apnoea is diagnosed.

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Carly Skitt is Assistant Programme Director with the North Powys Wellbeing Programme, which is based in Newtown. She commented: “Whilst we are working on the longer terms plans for the multi-agency health and wellbeing campus and the potential to provide more services locally in north Powys through the new development, its essential we also develop local services in the short term where this is possible’’.

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Carly added: “That’s why we are really pleased to be able to help fund this service which will hopefully really make a difference to people’s lives.”