The Impacts Sleep Apnea Can Have on Your Life
March 7, 2018
If you have sleep apnea and wonder how it affects your daily life, you may be surprised to find out that is it more than just a little snoring that can wake you up each night. It does more than just affect the quality of your sleep and may also affect your overall health and make you more susceptible to some serious conditions.
Dangers of Resisting Treatment
Those with this condition often snore during the night and may disrupt their partner’s sleep or wake up several times themselves. That’s because apnea causes you to stop breathing in the night, and your body wakes up to restart your system. Because of this, there are serious risks to your health.
- Type 2 diabetes: research shows that 80 percent of Americans with type 2 diabetes also have sleep apnea, which may be because lack of sleep can affect how your body regulates and uses insulin.
- Obesity: if you are overweight, you are more likely to develop sleep apnea, possibly because extra fat is often stored around the neck and sleep apnea may increase cravings for sweets and carbohydrates.
- High blood pressure: as you stop breathing in the night, your blood loses oxygen content and your heart must pump harder to get oxygen to vital organs, which increases your blood pressure.
- Sleepiness: lack of sleep can also lead to daytime sleepiness while you work or when you are driving and can also lead to mental illnesses like depression and anxiety.
Treatment Options
Although there are two types of apnea, the most common is obstructive sleep apnea, which is often treated with a continuous positive airway pressure machine. Many patients are unable to tolerate this treatment, so Dr. Cervenka offers dental treatments that aid your airway in opening and ensure that you get a good night’s sleep every night.
If you are struggling with this condition and have headaches or extreme sleepiness, we encourage you to contact us in Orlando, FL to schedule an appointment!