Serious snoring treatment can also reduce nocturnal heartburn and respiratory symptoms

A treatment for obstructive sleep apnoea (OSA) can also reduce night-time heartburn, coughing, and wheezing according to a study published recently in ERJ Open Research. People with OSA often snore loudly, their breathing starts and stops during the night, and they may wake up several times. Not only does this cause tiredness, but it can also increase the risk of high blood pressure, stroke, heart disease and type 2 diabetes.

Continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) machines work by blowing air through a face mask throughout the night to prevent the user’s airway from closing.

Professor Gislason and his colleagues used data from the Icelandic Sleep Apnea Cohort study, including 822 patients diagnosed with moderate to severe OSA. Before starting CPAP treatment, the patients took part in an overnight sleep study and answered detailed sleep questionnaires, including whether they had heartburn or belching at night.

The study showed that people who were regularly using the CPAP machines were around 42% less likely to suffer from night-time heartburn, compared to those who used the machines a little or not at all. This decrease in reflux among CPAP users seemed to result in more than a four-fold decrease in the risk of productive morning cough and almost a four-fold decrease in the risk of chronic bronchitis.

Researchers say that because CPAP treatment keeps the upper airway open during sleep, this probably helps the valve between the stomach and the food pipe to keep closed, which could stop acid from leaking out of the stomach.

Reference: Positive airway pressure treatment affects respiratory symptoms and gastroesophageal reflux, ERJ Open Research, DOI 10.1183/23120541.00387-2023