The Dangers of Uncontrolled Slumber Apnea

You've probably heard that regular do and a heart-healthy diet are the well-nigh important things y'all can do for your cardiovascular health. Equally it turns out, though, the quality of sleep you receive is also disquisitional to your middle's wellbeing.

Dictionary entry for sleep apnea

In particular, undiagnosed sleep apnea is directly tied to an increased risk in cardiovascular and metabolic health. The scariest role? Yous might not even know you have this very common problem.

"Sleep apnea happens when upper airway muscles relax during sleep and compression off the airway, which prevents you from getting enough air. Your breathing may pause for 10 seconds or more than at a time, until your reflexes boot in and yous starting time breathing again," explains Jonathan Jun, Grand.D. , a pulmonary and sleep medicine specialist at the Johns Hopkins Sleep Disorders Center.

Slumber apnea occurs in about 3 percent of normal weight individuals merely affects over xx percentage of obese people, Jun says. In general, sleep apnea affects men more than women. However, sleep apnea rates increase sharply in women after menopause. Slumber apnea is often linked to middle disease and metabolic issues similar diabetes.

What are the signs of sleep apnea?

There are two kinds of slumber apnea: obstructive sleep apnea and primal sleep apnea. Obstructive slumber apnea happens when air can't menstruation into or out of the nose or mouth, although you're trying to exhale. Central sleep apnea happens when the encephalon fails to send the right signals to your muscles to make you commencement breathing. (This type is less common.)

"Sleep apnea may be noticed more by the bed partner than by the sleeper," says Jun. "Your bed partner might find that your breathing pauses, or they may mutter of your loud snoring."

That said, snoring itself—though annoying—isn't the same as sleep apnea. Snoring is merely the vibration sound created by airway resistance. You can snore loudly and non have sleep apnea, and y'all may even take sleep apnea without much snoring.

People with sleep apnea might also suffer from unexplained fatigue and mood swings, because their animate interruptions continually wake them and forbid them from settling into a deep, nourishing sleep.

The consequences tin be significant, Jun says. "Nosotros're talking about motorcar accidents in the daytime, lost productivity at work, mood swings, waking up feeling groggy and falling comatose in class."

Other sufferers might wake up with a dry out mouth, since sleep apnea tends to make you lot breathe with an open up mouth, drying out your saliva. Some awaken with a headache, which may be caused by depression oxygen or loftier carbon dioxide levels during sleep.

How is Weight Control Linked to Slumber Apnea?

"Weight control is very important. There are many studies showing that losing weight can either completely cure y'all of sleep apnea or at least brand information technology less severe," Jun says.


Sleep apnea, cardiovascular run a risk and metabolism

Several studies have shown an clan between sleep apnea and problems like type 2 diabetes , strokes , heart attacks and even a shortened lifespan, says Jun. Why this connexion? For one thing, obesity is common in sleep apnea patients, and obesity greatly increases risks of diabetes, stroke and eye attack, he says. "In most cases, obesity is the main culprit behind both conditions," Jun explains.

Still, it'southward important to note that not anybody with sleep apnea is obese. Furthermore, evidence suggests an independent link betwixt slumber apnea and diabetes. "Our lab and others have shown that sleep apnea is associated with higher risks of diabetes, independent of obesity, and that sleep apnea can increase blood sugar levels," says Jun.

For people who are overweight or obese, weight loss is primal for treating or fugitive sleep apnea. People who accumulate fat in the cervix, tongue and upper abdomen are especially vulnerable to getting sleep apnea. This weight reduces the diameter of the throat and pushes against the lungs, contributing to airway plummet during sleep.

Women in particular should exist careful as they age. While premenopausal women tend to put on weight in the hips and in the lower body instead of the abdomen, this shifts with time. Weight begins to accumulate in traditionally "male" areas like the tummy, and this leads to a greater gamble of sleep apnea.

"After menopause, hormones modify and women tend to kickoff looking like men in terms of where the weight gets put on. It's a time to be paying attending to the risks of sleep apnea because women begin to take hold of upwards to men in the rates of apnea after menopause," Jun says.

Diagnosing and treating sleep apnea for meliorate health

It'southward important to treat sleep apnea, because information technology can have long-term consequences for your wellness. While at that place accept been some high-profile deaths linked to slumber apnea—such as with Judge Antonin Scalia —Jun says that the true risk is from harm done over time.

Obstructive sleep apnea can range from mild to severe, based on a measurement system chosen the apnea-hypopnea index (AHI). The AHI measures the number of animate pauses that you experience per hour that you sleep.

Obstructive sleep apnea is classified past severity:

  • Astringent obstructive sleep apnea means that your AHI is greater than 30 (more than 30 episodes per hour)
  • Moderate obstructive slumber apnea means that your AHI is between 15 and thirty
  • Mild obstructive sleep apnea means that your AHI is betwixt 5 and 15

Whether or not yous need handling for sleep apnea depends on its severity, whether or not you have symptoms such as sleepiness and other health conditions. For instance, if you have risk factors for heart disease, your doctor might opt to treat you even for mild sleep apnea. On the other mitt, if you accept a severe instance of slumber apnea, your physician might insist on treatment even if you're not sleepy.

The main choice of therapy is a breathing device called a CPAP, or continuous positive airway pressure motorcar. A CPAP automobile pipes humidified air through the nose, which creates air pressure to proceed your throat open up while asleep. This prevents pauses in breathing.

"CPAP is the first-line treatment, and it's very effective," Jun says. A recent Johns Hopkins report looked at what happens to metabolism at night when sleep apnea patients don't wearable their CPAP. The study plant that the resulting apnea caused a spike in blood saccharide, centre rate, blood pressure and stress hormones—a response like to what might happen if y'all were asked to get up in forepart of a crowd to speak. "It'south very similar to that type of a stress response," says Jun. "I would liken sleep apnea to something like that happening on a nightly basis."

Not very relaxing, right? Luckily, it's treatable.

Person taking a walk with a walker.

Get the Medical Equipment You Need at Abode

Navigating the abode tin be a struggle for those with chronic affliction or mobility concerns, but it doesn't have to exist. If y'all need assistance at abode, talk to your intendance provider to determine if home medical equipment can help. After your referral, let our experts at the Johns Hopkins Dwelling house Intendance Group deliver, set up and teach y'all how to use your new home medical equipment.

Many studies evidence that regular utilise of CPAP reduces blood force per unit area and improves wakefulness during the solar day. People with sleep apnea who use CPAP also report improved quality of life. In some observational studies that compare people with apnea who use CPAP versus those who don't, the CPAP users have lower risk of stroke and heart attack and lower claret glucose, Jun notes.

If you or your partner has noticed signs of sleep apnea, visit your doctor. A sleep specialist can order a sleep apnea exam, which uses equipment to monitor your breathing and oxygen levels while yous sleep. Often, you'll visit a laboratory to spend the night for monitoring. Other times, it'south possible to use a portable, take-home kit. You'll remainder easier knowing the results.