5 Serious Health Impacts of Sleep Apnea You Need to Know About

Sleep apnea is a common sleep disorder that affects millions of people worldwide, and although men have higher rates of sleep apnea, women can also be diagnosed with sleep apnea.

Simply put, sleep apnea is characterized by brief periods of breathing interruptions while you sleep, which can certainly lead to a range of health problems if left untreated that I'd assumed you'd prefer to avoid if possible.

Today, we will explore 5 of the most common, yet burning questions patients with sleep apnea have about its potential health impacts.

As you more than likely have one or many of these questions in your mind.

Question 1: Can Sleep Apnea Cause High Blood Pressure?

Yes, when you have sleep apnea it can cause high blood pressure.

But how?

You see when you're asleep, and your breathing is interrupted, your body can experience a lack of oxygen, which is what causes the increase in your blood pressure.

Unfortunately, this can put a strain on your heart.

Which can increase your risk of heart disease, stroke, and other cardiovascular problems.

So you see, this is why it's so important to get a diagnosis for sleep apnea in the first place.

As avoiding such, would mean you'd continue to experience sleep apnea symptoms without treatment, while unknowingly increasing your risk for the cardiovascular problems mentioned above. 

Let's now discuss a few related studies, don't worry we've provided links to them below if you're interested in digging into them further.

A study we found that was published in the Journal of the American Medical Association found that sleep apnea can lead to a 24-hour increase in blood pressure, which can increase the risk of cardiovascular disease and stroke.

Additionally, another study found that treatment for sleep apnea with continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) can significantly reduce blood pressure levels in patients with hypertension.

Sources:

- https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2546461/
- https://www.ahajournals.org/doi/full/10.1161/CIR.0000000000000988
- https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jama/fullarticle/1788459

Question 2: Can Sleep Apnea Cause Weight Gain?

Yes, sleep apnea can contribute to weight gain, especially if left untreated or worse undiagnosed.

With the diagnosis of sleep apnea you'll more than likely experience poor quality sleep, which can lead to fatigue, reduced physical activity due to being tired, and poor dietary choices because who wants to cook anything healthy when they're tired?

Furthermore, sleep apnea can disrupt your body's metabolism, which has a two pronged effect that leads to weight gain and a difficulty losing weight. 

A study published in the American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine found that people with sleep apnea had a higher risk of weight gain and obesity compared to people without the condition.

But that's not all, studies have found that approximately 40% of people that are obese also have sleep apnea, while 70% of obstructive sleep apnea patients are obese.

So even if you aren't diagnosed with sleep apnea, being overweight or obese can greatly increase your chances of sleep apnea.  

Additionally, another study found that treatment for sleep apnea with CPAP can lead to weight loss in overweight and obese patients.

Question 3: Can Sleep Apnea Cause Headaches?

Yes, sleep apnea can cause headaches.

The breathing interruptions that you experience with sleep apnea during sleep can cause a decrease in your oxygen levels.

Which can actually cause you to experience headaches and other symptoms of oxygen deprivation.

To make matters worse, the disruption of sleep can lead to tension headaches, which can be further exacerbated by the stress of the condition.

Here's a study which found that people with sleep apnea are at an increased risk of migraines and tension-type headaches.

Additionally, this study found that treatment for sleep apnea with CPAP can lead to a reduction in headache frequency and severity.

Question 4: Can Sleep Apnea Cause Seizures?

While sleep apnea does not directly cause seizures, it can increase your risk of seizures if you are predisposed to them.

When you experience a lack of oxygen as you sleep, this can result in changes to your brain that make it more susceptible to seizures.

You are especially at an increased risk if you have a history of epilepsy or other seizure disorders in your family.

Whether you are diagnosed with epilepsy, or have a family history, you must make it a priority to get tested for sleep apnea if you are experiencing symptoms.

And if you do get diagnosed with sleep apnea, please for the sake of your health, pursue a regular treatment plan with a CPAP machine.

As you will now need to ensure you are staying on top of the treatment for your epilepsy or other seizure disorder, as well as sleep apnea.

In fact, it's been reported that as high as 40% of people living with epilepsy also have obstructive sleep apnea.

If you have the combination of epilepsy and sleep apnea, then you are more likely to experience seizures during sleep compared to people with epilepsy without sleep apnea. 

We've got some good news though if you do discover that you have both epilepsy and sleep apnea.

This study found that with the treatment of your sleep apnea with a CPAP machine, can reduce the frequency of your seizures if you have epilepsy.

Question 5: Can Sleep Apnea Cause Anxiety?

Yes, sleep apnea can cause anxiety and can cause a severe impact on your overall mental state.

The chronic sleep deprivation and fatigue associated with sleep apnea can contribute to feelings of anxiety and depression.

Typically, people diagnosed with sleep apnea experience symptoms of anxiety disorder.

But that's not all.

You may also be more susceptible to experiencing panic attacks. 

Additionally, the stress of you having to live with a chronic health condition like sleep apnea can lead to anxiety and other mental health problems.

It's easy to see how vicious this cycle could be.

By taking a look at this study on the National Library of Medicine found that people with sleep apnea are at an increased risk of depression and anxiety.

Additionally, here's another study which found that treatment for sleep apnea with CPAP can improve symptoms of depression and anxiety in patients with the condition. 

Final Thoughts

In conclusion, sleep apnea is a serious condition that has a host of complications on its own.

However sleep apnea can lead to an additional range of health problems if left untreated.

If you are experiencing symptoms of sleep apnea, such as loud snoring, excessive daytime fatigue, or breathing interruptions during sleep, even if inconsistently, it is important to talk to your doctor.

By doing so you can work together with your healthcare professional so they can help diagnose and offer treat recommendations for your sleep apnea. 

The quicker you begin to receive treatment for your sleep apnea, the sooner you'll notice improvements in your overall quality of life.

While simultaneously reducing your risk of associated health problems, many of which we discussed today.

Recently diagnosed with sleep apnea and looking for a CPAP machine, or looking to upgrade your current setup?

Checkout this small, compact, and lightweight travel CPAP machine!

Do you have a burning sleep apnea question that we didn't answer in today's article? Let us know in the comments section below!