7 Possible Dangers & Risks of Untreated Sleep Apnea
Sleep apnea is one of the most common sleep-related breathing disorders that causes you to stop breathing at different intervals throughout the night. There are various types of sleep apnea, but many people suffer from obstructive sleep apnea. Obstructive sleep apnea happens when the throat muscles relax, leading to the blockage of the breathing airways while sleeping. This is what causes snoring. So, what are the sleep apnea risks and dangers? Keep on reading to find the answer to the question.
What Factors Predispose You to Sleep Apnea?
Old Age
People aged 60 and above are more prone to this sleeping condition than younger people.
Excess Weight
Research shows that having excess weight can lead to getting this condition. The reason is that if you have excess weight, the extra fat deposit around your upper airway can block breathing at night, causing sleep apnea. On top of that, medical conditions like polycystic ovary syndrome and hypothyroidism can also lead to obstructive sleep apnea. This is why the dentist in Fort Valley recommends keeping fit to prevent becoming obese exposing you to sleep apnea.
Sex and Genetics
The truth is men are more prone to obstructive sleep apnea. However, women become more prone to this condition safter menopause. Moreover, family history can also increase your risk of getting sleep apnea.
Other factors that expose you to sleep apnea include smoking, hypertension, asthma, and having a narrowed airway.
Now that you know what increases your risk of getting sleep apnea near you, what are some possible dangers and risks of untreated sleep apnea?
Possible Dangers And Risks Of Untreated Sleep Apnea.
High Blood Pressure
If you have high blood pressure, sleep apnea can worsen it. This condition forces you to wake up at different intervals at night, which stresses your body. When your body goes into stress mode, your blood pressure rises. Moreover, during a sleep apnea episode, you cannot breathe, which reduces the level of oxygen in your blood and worsens your blood pressure.
Heart Failure and Other Heart-Related Problems
When you get this sleeping disorder, it can expose you to pulmonary hypertension, and this can lead to heart failure. Heart failure happens when the right ventricle of your heart is too exhausted to pump blood to your lungs. When this happens, blood level increases in your veins, and the fluid is pushed back into your tissue, making it swell.
Moreover, sleep apnea can disrupt your body from taking oxygen. This makes it challenging for your brain to control blood flow in the brain and your arteries. The result of this is getting a heart attack.
Daytime Fatigue and Sleepiness
Sleep apnea causes you to wake at night at different intervals. Therefore, when you wake up in the morning, you might realize that you feel drowsy. The daytime drowsiness can expose you to accidents and injuries. This is because you’re sleepy and cannot operate the machine well or work as effectively as when you’ve slept well.
Medication and surgical complications
It becomes challenging to take certain medications or go through surgeries. For instance, sedatives can relax your upper airway, reducing the breathing airway and worsening sleep apnea.
In addition, sleep apnea can make going through surgery risky. For example, when you lie on your back during surgery and have this condition, it can cause blockage of the breathing airways, and the doctor may find it hard to wake you up from sedation.
Therefore, it would be best to check in with the dentist near you so that they can treat the sleeping condition before surgery.
Weight Gain
Being overweight can expose you to sleep apnea. But it does not end there. Sleep apnea can make it challenging for you to slim down. When you’re overweight, you have fatty deposits in your neck that hinder breathing at night. On the other hand, obstructive sleep apnea can trigger your body to release more ghrelin hormone, and this causes you to crave sweets and carbs.
Brain Fog
Failure to sleep well causes you to experience brain fog. Brain fog is when you feel forgetful, slow to react, and cannot think straight. These are things you can experience with sleep apnea.
Depression
Have you stayed without sufficient sleep for days? Were you happy? Sleep apnea does the same. Failure to sleep well can lead to depression, making it harder to concentrate on work. If this happens to you, head to Whitaker Family Dentistry, and our dentist will help alleviate the effects of this condition and restore your smile.