Obstructive sleep apnea: All you need to know about the disorder that proved fatal for Bappi Lahiri

Veteran singer-composer Bappi Lahiri passed away at 69 on Tuesday night. He was cremated at Mumbai’s Pawan Hans crematorium on Thursday. The mortal remains of Disco King of Bollywood were consigned to the flames by his son Bappa, who returned with his wife from Los Angeles in the wee hours of Thursday.

Bappi Da is survived by his wife Chitrani, daughter Rema and a son Bappa.

Also Read: Bappi Lahiri Funeral: Veteran singer cremated, fans, friends pay last respects

He died due to a condition called Obstructive sleep apnea )OSA and multiple health issues.
Bappi Lahiri was hospitalized in Criticare Hospital, Juhu for 29 days due to OSA- Obstructive Sleep Apnea and recurrent chest infection.

Dr. Deepak Namjoshi, Physician, Cardiologist, and Pulmonologist, who was treating the late Bappi Lahiri, said that the music composer was suffering from OSA for more than a year.

In an official statement, the doctor said, "Bappi Lahiri was suffering from OSA- Obstructive Sleep Apnea and recurrent chest infection. He was hospitalized in Criticare Hospital, Juhu for 29 days with this. He recovered well and was discharged home on 15 February. However, after a day at home, his health again deteriorated and he was brought back to Criticare hospital Juhu in a critical state and succumbed to his illness at about 11.45 pm."

The statement continued, "He suffered from COVID-19 infection last year. He had OSA for the last one year. He was admitted on multiple occasions in Criticare Hospital under treatment and recovered on all occasions."

Let’s know more details about the disorder that turned fatal for our Disco King of Bollywood, Bappi Da:

OSA is a disorder that happens when something blocks the upper airway while sleeping. As a result, the diaphragm and chest muscles have to work harder to open the airway and pull air into the lungs. At times, breathing becomes very shallow, and at other times, it even stops briefly. OSA also arises due to being overweight and having fat deposition around the neck.

Dr Arunesh Kumar, HOD and Senior Consultant - Pulmonology, Paras Hospitals, Gurugram, said that people took this condition very lightly and never understood its seriousness.

He further stated, "People often take this condition lightly, thinking it's just snoring and it cannot be fatal. One should keep in mind that it's not just sleeping or snoring issue. Obstructive sleep apnea is connected with diabetes, high blood pressure, and stroke. In India, the awareness towards sleep apnea is very low."

Elaborating on its connection with high blood pressure, he said, "If the patient has high blood pressure and sleep apnea, then the high blood pressure cannot be controlled in that patient if the sleep apnea isn't treated. If the sleep apnea remains untreated for a long time, then the patient goes into ventilatory failure."

Symptoms of OSA

• Breathlessness
• Daytime sleeping
• High blood pressure
• Headache in the morning and decreased libido.
• Other symptoms include waking up with a dry mouth or sore throat and lack of concentration.

Treatment

According to Dr Arunesh Kumar, OSA can be treated only if a person controls his/her weight and follows a good lifestyle.

“It begins with weight loss and using a CPAP machine. Just OSA cannot cause death, there are other conditions too associated with sleep apnea like heart failure and that can contribute to death," Dr Arunesh said.

Bappi Lahiri's death irreparable loss to the Indian music world. However, one should take a lesson from his life.

A balanced and active lifestyle is our only way to ensure not just a good life, but also a healthy one.

(ANI)

Also Read: Bappi Lahiri: Lesser-known facts about veteran musician