For the estimated 25 million people in the U.S. who suffer from sleep apnea, poor sleep is a nightly occurrence. While the fogginess, headache, and daytime fatigue that follows a restless night is to be expected, there are other serious health risks that can accompany sleep apnea, especially if left untreated. Sleep apnea and high blood pressure are one of the most common links, affecting all systems of the body (including the heart). Here’s what you should know.

What does sleep apnea do to your heart?

Sleep apnea puts incredible stress on the body, depriving it of oxygen for ten to 20 seconds at a time, as many as 20 times an hour, all night long.

When the brain is deprived of oxygen, the blood vessels respond dramatically.

  • Blood vessels constrict: This increases the flow of oxygen to the brain and heart
  • Blood pressure increases: The body needs more oxygen, and the increased blood pressure helps to supply it

If these two things occurred only during apneic episodes when breathing stopped, then the body might have few lasting effects. But the body does not stop reacting in this way when the sleeper wakes. The extra adrenaline released during the night to stimulate breathing continues to be released during the day. This adrenaline continues to affect how the heart works.

The cardiovascular system remembers oxidative stress during the day and overcompensates. As a result, inflammation in the body increases (measured by the presence of a C-reactive protein), heart rate increases, and atrial walls thicken. Because of this, people with sleep apnea have increased rates of atrial fibrillation and heart failure.

Whether sleepers have obstructive sleep apnea, central sleep apnea, or complex sleep apnea, these symptoms are taxing to the body. Sleep apnea and blood pressure are closely linked, and this can affect the function of your heart.

Can sleep apnea cause high blood pressure?

The link between sleep apnea and high blood pressure plays out in the heart but also stands on its own as a dangerous complication.

When we sleep, our blood pressure usually drops between ten and 20% of its daytime rate. Not so for those who suffer from sleep apnea. The stress that occurs when the body is repeatedly deprived of oxygen at night causes blood pressure to rise by as much as 20% every night. Just like the heart remembers the oxidative stress, so too, does the blood pressure. Even just one apneic episode makes it harder for the body to regulate blood pressure.

An estimated 30 to 50% of people with high blood pressure also have sleep apnea. Sleep apnea is most common in patients with resistant hypertension that has not responded to treatments.

Glen Foster, an assistant professor of health and exercise science and researcher on a study that further proved sleep apnea’s effects on all of the body’s systems, noted that:

“…[Our] study shows this condition has an impact on the cardiovascular system that can begin within a single day. After just six hours of fluctuating oxygen levels, similar to what happens with sleep apnea, the body’s ability to regulate blood pressure is impaired. These changes occurred almost immediately in healthy young adults who were not experiencing the cumulative effects years of sleep apnea could bring about.”

In other words, sleep apnea and hypertension are linked from the very first night of poor sleep.

Even if the sleeper escapes the damaging effects of one night of sleep apnea, sleep apnea and high blood pressure are still likely. This may be related to the increased production of endothelin, a substance that causes the blood vessels to constrict. Over time, this increased production can damage blood vessels, resulting in hypertension and even stroke.

Hypertension does, in many cases, lead to stroke, and patients with sleep apnea have poor recovery outcomes and an increased risk of another stroke.

How can treating sleep apnea lower my risk?

The good news is this: treating sleep apnea immediately lowers blood pressure at night and decreases your chances of stroke and cardiovascular complications.

New guidelines to measure high blood pressure, especially in the elderly, have increased the incidence of high blood pressure and formally recognized obstructive sleep apnea as a cause of secondary hypertension. These guidelines recommend more vigilance when it comes to sleep apnea screening for the elderly. They also recognize CPAP machines as a treatment for both sleep apnea and resistant hypertension.

Not treating sleep apnea can result in serious health risks. High blood pressure increases the risk of stroke, and the continual stress on the heart doubles the rate of AFIB. Patients with untreated sleep apnea are three times as likely to prematurely die than those with treated sleep apnea.

Diagnosing sleep apnea

So where does treatment of sleep apnea and high blood pressure begin? With a solid diagnosis. If you have any of the following symptoms of sleep apnea, a diagnostic polysomnography is your next step.

  • Daytime fatigue
  • Lack of mental clarity
  • Difficulty concentrating
  • Headache
  • Dry mouth in the morning
  • Snoring

A simple sleep study will measure the number of apneas (pauses in breathing) you experience per hour and their duration, resulting in an AHI (apnea hypopnea index) score. These scores range as follows:

  • Five to 15 pauses: Mild sleep apnea
  • 15 to 30 pauses: Moderate sleep apnea
  • 30 or more pauses: Severe sleep apnea

Sleep apnea treatments

Once you have your diagnosis, your doctor or sleep apnea dentist may recommend starting with lifestyle changes in conjunction with other treatments. Managing weight, adding exercise, quitting smoking, and eating healthy are all treatments for sleep apnea and high blood pressure.

In addition, your doctor may recommend a CPAP (continuous positive airway pressure) machine to keep your airway open at night. This machine uses a mask fitted over your mouth and nose to deliver pressurized air all night long.

For sleepers who cannot comply with a CPAP machine due to the discomfort of the mask or noise of the machine, a sleep apnea dental device can be a literal lifesaver.

Custom-fitted by your dentist, this device gently holds your jaw open and positions your tongue away from the airway. While CPAP machines are the gold standard of sleep apnea treatment, they lose their benefits if patients don’t use them consistently. On the other hand, sleep apnea dental devices are small, quiet, comfortable, and convenient.

A sleep apnea dentist can help manage your symptoms of sleep apnea in order to improve your blood pressure. Get in touch today to find out how our sleep apnea dentists at AZ Dentist can help you!

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