An estimated 100,000 Irish people suffer from the sleep disorder, sleep apnoea, but as many as nine in 10 of these remain undiagnosed, a conference has been told.

Sleep apnoea is a potentially life-threatening condition in which breathing is disrupted during sleep. It occurs when the airway collapses and the person stops breathing for at least 10 seconds. If this happens constantly during the night, the affected person will not get proper sleep.

Symptoms of sleep apnoea can include snoring, excessive daytime sleepiness, choking episodes during sleep, teeth grindling and irritability.

Speaking at the annual conference of the Irish Dental Association (IDA), consultant respiratory physician at the Galway Clinic, Dr Michael McWeeney, explained that the exact number of people affected is unclear.

"Overall we believe the condition affects between 2.5 and 4% of the population, but because most people who suffer from it remain undiagnosed that figure may be a little on the conservative side," he explained.

He noted that the prevalence of the condition is on the increase because ‘we are in an obesity epidemic and that increases the severity of apnoea'.

"Poor muscle tone and alcohol consumption also increase the risk substantially. What we really want to do is raise awareness of the condition, not just among the general population, but also among health providers such as doctors and dentists," he told the conference.

Meanwhile, Dr McWeeney pointed out that not everyone with sleep apnoea snores. However, if someone who usually snores suffers from constant fatigue despite appearing to get adequate sleep, that person ‘should visit a doctor to get a diagnosis'.

Also speaking at the conference, Dr Dermot Canavan, a specialist in the treatment of orofacial pain, said that people who are, for example, napping a lot or falling asleep in the cinema, may be suffering from sleep apnoea.

He emphasised the danger of them falling asleep while driving or operating machinery.

"The Road Safety Authority has in fact issued guidelines mandating people to tell the driving licensing authority if they have apnea and they cannot drive unless they receive treatment," he explained.

Dr Canavan noted that treatment for the condition can include changes to lifestyle, such as losing weight or changing sleeping positions or the use of a CPAP (continuous positive airway pressure) machine, which is a device worn over the nose or nose and mouth that helps keep the airways open.

He also pointed out that dentists are in a position to offer oral appliances that can be used in some cases of sleep apnoea, where CPAP machines are not considered suitable. These can include a MAD (mandibular advancement device), which looks like a sports mouth guard and can be made by a dentist.

"Sleep apnea is an extremely debilitating condition and the earlier it is identified the greater the likelihood of successful treatment," Dr Canavan added.

The IDA annual conference took place in Galway.