The modern lifestyle is fast-paced, so it is very common to hear people say that they are tired. While that might not seem like a big deal, consistently failing to get enough high-quality sleep could actually ruin your health and seriously downgrade your quality of life! You might be particularly vulnerable to such consequences if you have sleep apnea and choose to ignore it. What specifically could happen? This blog post explains.
Cardiovascular Disease
Sleep apnea is associated with an increased risk of numerous health conditions, including high blood pressure, heart attack, and stroke. The reason for this correlation may be due to the fact that repeated disruptions in breathing during sleep lead to lower blood oxygen levels, which places stress on the entire cardiovascular system.
Metabolic Conditions
Low sleep quality can interfere with how your hormones work, including those that regulate the metabolic processes throughout your body. For example, low blood oxygen levels during sleep can increase insulin resistance, which may heighten your risk of type 2 diabetes (or make your diabetes more difficult to control). You may also have higher levels of ghrelin (the hunger hormone) and lower levels of leptin (the satiety hormone). Therefore, you may be vulnerable to unwanted weight gain.
Poor Mental Health
Individuals with emotional disorders, such as depression and anxiety, may already find it difficult to sleep. Sleep apnea can further worsen the quality of your nightly rest and exacerbate such conditions. In fact, there is even some evidence to suggest that sleep apnea might play a role in the initial development of depression.
Decreased Quality of Life
If you are used to being tired day after day, you might not realize how much that state is affecting your quality of life. Sleep apnea may make you irritable and cause you to draw away from social situations, which can adversely affect your relationships with others. Your love life is also likely to suffer, either due to emotional challenges or the sexual dysfunction that is often caused by sleep apnea. Additionally, your performance at work may fall short of expectations, which could stop you from reaching your career goals.
The Potential for Accidents
Sleep apnea prevents you from fully benefiting from sleep. As a result, you may feel exhausted and drowsy throughout each day — including when you are behind the wheel. Your reactions may be unusually slow, which greatly increases your risk of being involved in an accident.
What Can You Do?
The above information can seem scary, but remember — those are the potential consequences of ignoring your sleep apnea. If you get it treated, you may be able to avoid or minimize such issues.
If you have been struggling to feel well-rested lately, now is the time to talk to your doctor about sleep apnea! Timely treatment might just save your health!
Meet the Practice Drs. Brad Weiss, Ali Fulreader, and Deborah Barker lead the team in our practice. We are pleased to offer convenient and effective oral appliance therapy for individuals suffering from sleep apnea. If you would like to learn more about this treatment option or other ways in which you might be able to manage your condition, contact our Skokie, IL, office at 847-864-0188.