Do You Know About The Side-Effects of Sleep Apnea?
Sleep apnea is a condition where you stop and start breathing while you’re asleep. Obviously that’s not ideal, but did you know hat there are also side effects to sleep apnea?
Let’s have a look at what causes sleep apnea, the possible side effects, and what you can do about it.
So what causes sleep apnea?
There are different types of sleep apnea, all of which are triggered by a particular occurrence in your body.
- Obstructive sleep apnea arises when the muscles in the back of your throat relax, causing them to block the air passage, so you can’t breathe normally. This happens multiple times in the night, and so you wake up frequently to get your breathing back to normal.
- Another type of sleep apnea is when your brain does not signal your muscles to keep on breathing. This miscommunication leads to a lack of breathing for a certain amount of time, and so again, you keep waking up due to a lack of breath.
What Are The Symptoms?
Your partner may be having difficulty getting a good night’s sleep and you might be concerned that they have some form of sleep disorder. It could be sleep apnea, but one way to know for sure is to see a doctor. You can also check out if they have the following symptoms:
- Feeling excessively sleepy during the day
- Waking up choking or gasping
- Snoring loudly
- Dry mouth
- Headaches
- Insomnia
If your doctor does confirm that you have sleep apnea, don’t worry. It can be managed. For instance, you can make use of WellAwareSystems that can help to monitor and assist your breathing at night. Other means which you can try include self-care such as maintaining a healthy diet and losing weight to help you breathe with more ease. In some cases, and only when the doctor recommends it, you can consider surgery.
Side -Effects that May Occur
Sleep apnea can be potentially dangerous, as it may affect your health in various ways, some of which are outlined below.
Cardiovascular problems – It can cause some sort of irregular heart rhythm due to inconsistent sleep patterns. When this occurs, it could increase the risk of issues such as stroke or heart failure.
High blood pressure – Irregular sleep patterns will cause your body undue stress. As a result, a lot of hormones will be released by the body in a bid to restore balance. This consequently leads to high blood pressure levels.
Extra weight gain – It causes your body to release hormones that make you want more carbs and sugary foods. That makes it easy to gain weight, which will be hard to lose due to the fatigue you experience all the time as a result of not having a good night’s sleep. This is a nasty circle to find yourself in.
Diabetes- As stated, sleep apnea can lead to weight gain which may cause obesity. Obesity, in turn, increases the risk of getting diabetes. A lot of bodily functions also are carried out when you are asleep, and hence interrupted sleep can prevent the proper usage of insulin, leading to diabetes.
In conclusion, if you suspect that you may have sleep apnea, visit a doctor and get medical help. It will help alleviate a lot of issues that could result from what may seem like a minor ailment.
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