Sleep apnea is a potentially serious sleep disorder that affects approximately 25 million people in the U.S. This number does not include the estimated 80% of people with moderate to severe sleep apnea who remain undiagnosed. Sleep apnea complications can lead to severe health problems, including diabetes and early risk of death.

What is sleep apnea? 

There are two main types of sleep apnea.

  • Obstructive sleep apnea: Obstructive sleep apnea is the most common form of sleep apnea. When sleeping, the muscles of the throat become so relaxed that they actually block or obstruct the airway.
  • Central sleep apnea: This form of sleep apnea occurs when the brain fails to send proper signals to the muscles responsible for breathing.

Regardless of the kind of sleep apnea, both follow the same pattern. The sleeper stops breathing; the brain notices the lack of oxygen and sends a “wake up” call that makes the sleeper gasp themselves awake. This can happen between five and ten times an hour for up to 30 seconds at a time.

What are symptoms of sleep apnea?

Symptoms of sleep apnea include:

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

In many cases, the last symptom – snoring – is the first sign of a problem (usually noticed by the spouse!).

Are there sleep apnea complications? 

While it may seem that with sleep apnea all you have to lose is a good night’s sleep, that’s just the tip of the iceberg. Sleep apnea has serious potential health risks that should not be ignored.

Seven of the most common sleep apnea complications and side effects include:

  • High blood pressure
  • Chronic heart disease
  • Atrial fibrillation
  • Stroke
  • Type 2 diabetes
  • Depression
  • Risk of early mortality

1. High blood pressure

Sleep apnea may not only make high blood pressure worse, but it also might cause it.

The urgent signal to breathe, delivered frequently over the course of a night, can cause stress hormones to spike several times a night. This, combined with a lack of oxygen, can cause high blood pressure.

2. Chronic heart disease

Again related to stress hormones and the gasping breath that signals the jumpstart of breath, chronic heart disease can be caused by sleep apnea.

3. Atrial fibrillation

Atrial fibrillation occurs when the top two chambers of the heart beat out of sync with the bottom two chambers. This can be exacerbated by sleep apnea.

4. Stroke

Stroke is one of the side effects of sleep apnea that you literally can’t see coming.

Low oxygen levels combined with high blood pressure form a perfect storm in the brain. The incidence of sleep apnea also tends to rise after stroke.

5. Type 2 diabetes

An estimated 80% of people with type 2 diabetes have sleep apnea.

Because sleep apnea is also a factor in obesity, and obesity is a factor in type 2 diabetes, these three disease are inextricably linked.

6. Depression

The effects of sleep apnea on the brain cannot be underestimated. People who are suffering from extreme fatigue are also much more likely to be suffering from depression.

7. Increased risk of early mortality

Simply put, chronic fatigue from sleep apnea leads to more accidents, and more accidents lead to an increased chance of death.

Drowsy driving has been shown to be just as dangerous as drunk driving, but accidents aren’t confined to the road. Workers with sleep apnea are twice as likely to be injured on the job, sometimes seriously.

One study found that overall, people with untreated sleep apnea died early at three times the rate of those without sleep apnea, from all causes. Obviously, sleep apnea complications can be very serious indeed.

What are the long-term effects of sleep apnea?

Other than these listed, untreated sleep apnea has serious, long-term effects.

Lack of sleep accelerates the aging process of the cells, making those who are chronically fatigued actually age more quickly than those who get a full night of shut-eye.

At the very least, lack of sleep shows in your skin. One study found that fine lines, reduced elasticity, and uneven pigmentation were all prominent in study participants who were sleep-deprived.

Sleep apnea complications are more than skin deep. Obesity and sleep apnea are closely linked, with one contributing to the other. Those who are obese are more likely to have sleep apnea, and those with sleep apnea are more likely to be obese. Obesity comes with a host of its own health issues, some of which (type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular illness) are also linked to sleep apnea.

Another long-term effect of untreated sleep apnea is a risk of cancer that is two and a half times higher than that of people who do not suffer from this disease.

Anecdotally, other long-term effects of sleep-apnea include a greater chance of suffering from adult onset asthma and an increase in acid reflux.

While researchers don’t always know why these long-term effects exist, it is clear that sleep apnea is not something to ignore.

Is sleep apnea curable?

The word “curable” is tricky here. Sleep apnea is treatable with a high success rate, but it won’t necessarily go away for good. Treatment must be consistent and continuous in order to work.

Common treatments include a continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) machine and dental devices for sleep apnea.

CPAP machines are a mask that fit over the mouth and nose. The machine gently delivers a stream of air to keep airways open. More portable and without the potentially uncomfortable mask, dental devices for sleep apnea reposition the jaw and tongue so that the throat stays open.

Dental devices have been shown to have the same rate of success in treating sleep apnea as the CPAP machine, mostly due to compliance issues with the CPAP. Not everyone wants to spend the night in a mask, and many spouses find the noise of the machine disrupts their sleep.

Either way, sleep apnea is a highly treatable condition. The best time to get treatment for sleep apnea is sooner rather than later. Untreated sleep apnea can have long-term health effects that are difficult or impossible to reverse.

If you think you might be suffering from sleep apnea, contact your Phoenix area dentist today to get a better night’s sleep tomorrow!

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