Waking Up To The Dangerous Effects Of Sleep Apnea
Sleep apnea is a disorder in which a person experiences periods of slow or halted breathing while sleeping. There are many causes and symptoms of the disorder. While there are treatments for it, the effects of sleep apnea can be damaging not only to the afflicted person but also to the one sharing the room or bed with him.
The effects of sleep apnea are varied. Whether the condition is mild or severe, the definitive result is the lack of oxygen that the body needs for its normal functioning. It may appear as simple loud snoring in sleep, but in truth, sleep apnea may already be causing the body to undergo a lot of stress. During episodes, carbon dioxide builds up in the blood causing the heart to work harder in order to pump it out. Ultimately, the person may soon feel the devastating effects if the condition goes untreated.
Serious Effects of Sleep Apnea
• Heart Arrhythmia – This condition is characterized by the irregular beating of the heart. Although it can also happen in other circumstances, in this situation, the heart stops beating at long pauses or in additional rhythm. At times, the heart works faster to compensate for the absence of oxygen. This extra work makes the heart weaker making it the first organ to suffer from the results of sleep apnea. If allowed to persist, this can lead to unexpected death.
• Low Level of Blood Oxygen – The blood oxygen concentration becomes depleted especially when frequent episodes of sleep apnea occur. The low level of blood affects the brain, which can cause equilibrium deficiency, poor memory, and lack of dexterity.
• Obesity – While obesity is often blamed as one of the causes, it is also considered as an effect. The frequent sleep disturbance has an effect that can cause excessive weight gain for the person with sleep apnea.
• Hypertension – Because the oxygen in the blood becomes depleted, the danger of having a stroke is higher in people with sleep apnea. This occurs due to the incorrect transmission of oxygen in the body tissue causing some failure in body functions.
• Diabetes – Studies show that sleep apnea increases the insulin and glucose level in the blood. The excessive presence of these compounds can surely lead to the development of Diabetes Mellitus.
Other Alarming Effects of Sleep Apnea
• Headaches – People with sleep apnea often wake up with mild to severe headaches. The depletion of blood oxygen causes sleep interruption thus producing low-quality sleep.
• Daytime Fatigue – Tiredness is felt during the day caused by the repeated panting or gasping for breath to get enough air when sleep apnea attacks. The lack of good-quality sleep causes fatigue and sleepiness, both of which can be dangerous to the person while he drives or performs risky or complicated tasks. This can affect the ability to think clearly and act reflexively. Fatigue also increases depression.
• Sore Throat – Persons with sleep apnea tend to breathe through the mouth in their unconscious effort to get more air. When they wake up, they experience sore or dehydrated throat as well as dry mouth due to the need to open their mouth while they sleep.
• Poor Immune System – People afflicted with sleep apnea are not able to meet the required number of sleeping hours due to frequent sleep interruptions. The lack of good quality and incomplete sleep are just the reasons for an unhealthy and imbalanced lifestyle that can eventually compromise the immunity system.
The effects of sleep apnea are quite alarming. Apart from the serious medical conditions that may eventually afflict the person, the other effects are also enough to warn and prompt him to ask professional help and seek treatment. Although all of these directly affect the person with sleep apnea, there is also an undeniable effect to other people especially when snoring becomes too disturbingly loud. Instead of waking up others, the person with sleep apnea needs to wake up to save himself from the negative consequences of his ailment.
