subject: Medical Complications Caused by Sleep Apnea [print this page] Medical Complications Caused by Sleep Apnea
Defined by an average of ten breath intakes that fail per hour, sleep apnea is a serious sleeping disorder.
Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is ba far the most common form of sleep apnea. It occurs, when the muscles in the throat relax during night. Soft tissue in the airway collapses and together with e.g. a large tongue, enlarged soft palate and excess fat in the neck press on the airway and block it.
Only 4% of people with sleep apnea suffer from central sleep apnea (CSA) which is caused by the brain giving insufficient signal to the muscles to initiate the breathing movement.
Being considered a serious medical condition, sleep apnea needs to be treated very soon.This is because of sleep apnea being the cause for many complications:
Cardiovascular complications
When the blood oxygen level suddenly drops during sleep apnea the blood pressure increases (trying to offset the drop).That puts a lot of stress on the cardiovascular system. The risk of high blood pressure is increased two or threefold by OSA. The risk of blood pressure increases with the severity of sleep apnea.
No matter whether blood pressure is present, the risk of stroke is significantly increased by hypertension.With a condition of heart disease, the frequent oxygen undersupply in the blood (hypoxia or hypoxemia) might lead to a cardiac event and sudden death. It has been shown in several studies that there is a strong link between sleep apnea and atrial fibrillation, congestive heart failure and other vascular deseases.
The cause for heart diseases is strongly linked to sleep apnea if OSA is present.
In contrast to that CSA or central sleep apnea is frequently caused by an existing heart disease.
Daytime fatigue/Sleep Deprivation
Sleep apnea leads to repeated awakenings and an overall shallower sleep during night, which does not allow for a restful sleep. It is no surprise that this leads to extensive daytime drowsiness and lack of concentration. This also causes exhaustion, moodiness and irritability.Especially when driving a car or concentrating on (school-)work, fatigue can add additional risk and lead to worse performance and frustration.Other problems reported by patients suffering from sleep apnea are mood swings or feelings of depression, memory glitches and morning headaches.
Complications with surgery and certain medication.Sleep Apnea increase the risk of complications after surgery, as patients with sleep apnea a likely to have breathing problems when they are under medication and lying on their back.
Additionally the difficulties of sleeping with sleeping aids might slow down recovery after surgery. In case sleep apnea is not diagnosed yet, it imposes a large risk of complications after surgery. If diagnosed, sleep apnea needs to be discussed with the doctor before surgery.
Sleep-deprived partners.
It is a common experience for everyone who snores. Those who sleep in the same room with you will likely be disturbed by the noise and have trouble sleeping. In the end partners might not be able to share a room anymore which might disrupt the relationship.
Nocturia.
The blood gets more acidic when the oxygen level decreases and carbon dioxide level increases leading to a drop in the heart rate and contraction of the heart vessels. The body signals it's problem to the brain and the patient wakes up. By now, the heart rate is very high and the heart falsely signals excess fluid. The signal is carried by a protein, that tells the body to discard excess sodium and water.
Impotence/Sexual Dysfunction (ED).
According to recent studies Sleep apnea and ED are often linked. In the past this was often ascribed to the undersupply with oxygen and damage of the cardiovascular system.Recent studies also suggest, that the erections men naturally have during deep REM sleep help maintain the erectile function. Sleep apnea in most cases prevent extended REM stages.
However, ED and obesity are also statiscally linked, so that sleep apnea does not necessarily have to be the linking symptom.
Gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD).
There have been recent studies, showing that sleep apnea and acid reflux are strongly linked. Approximately half of the patients with sleep apnea also have GERD. With these symptoms being especially worse at night doctors suggested that the back of up of stomach acid in GERD may produce spasms in the vocal cords (larynx), blocking the flow of air to the lungs and causing apnea. So far, no clear proof of sleep apnea being treated via a cure of acid reflux could be found.
Also an apnea can cause a pressure change in the throat that again can lead to GERD.
However, there is a strong link between GERD and obisity, that might simulate the connection between GERD and sleep apnea. A direct connection is therefore hard to prove.
