6 Common Health Problems Related to Sleep Apnea

Sleep apnea is a condition where breathing is often interrupted during sleep, with the individual repeatedly waking up to resume breathing. These interruptions are most likely to occur when the person is sleeping on their back. The main cause of sleep apnea is fat deposits around the neck that press down on and block the throat, or in some cases may be due to an excess of tissue in the throat, which can result in breathing difficulty.

You can consult a Spring, TX dentist if sleep apnea has started to interrupt your daily life. It is essential to diagnose the condition and get the needed treatment as early as you can. Unless properly diagnosed and treated, sleep apnea can become dangerous and cause some other health conditions as follows:

• Cardiovascular diseases

It is well known that sleep apnea causes blood pressure to rise, and in some cases, leads to cardiovascular diseases. The blockage in the throat causes the individual to wake up breathless, which requires more effort from the heart. Therefore, a person with sleep apnea is also at risk of cardiovascular disease.

• Depression

Depression is a common problem among individuals with sleep apnea because of the interruption of their sleep. Sleep apnea disrupts the quality of your sleep and causes both physical and emotional stress, which can turn into depression.

• Decreased libido

Many individuals who suffer from sleep apnea also report a decrease in their libido. Studies have shown that the problem could be caused by the stress of waking up so often, which affects their sex life.

• High blood pressure

Sleep apnea causes the individual to wake up many times throughout the night. This may seem harmless, but it can cause an increase in blood pressure, which is very dangerous for health. The added stress on the heart also has a negative impact on the cardiovascular system.

• Stroke

A study done in Canada found that almost 10% of the individuals who suffered from sleep apnea were at a high risk of having a stroke. The reason for this is that the sudden increase in blood pressure when you wake up can cause a stroke.

• Heart diseases

Sleep apnea causes the heart to work harder over time, which is no different from always having a heavy heart. This can cause any existing heart condition to get worse and lead to death.