Sleep apnea symptoms and side effects include snoring, spells of respiratory arrest, sleeplessness, and hypersomnia. These symptoms can lead to major concerns with your general health over time, especially if your sleep apnea is not addressed. The following are some of the most prevalent hazards and adverse effects of sleep apnea.

Daytime Sleepiness

Daytime drowsiness is both a symptom and a risk factor for sleep apnea. Daytime drowsiness, also known as hypersomnia, can impair your performance at work or school and leave you exhausted from performing vital duties such as spending time with loved ones, participating in your favorite hobbies, and exercising. If you fall asleep while driving or operating heavy machinery during the day, you are more likely to be involved in an accident.

Heart Problems

Sleep apnea is characterized by an abrupt and repeated decline in blood oxygen levels during sleep. The unusual strain on the heart and cardiovascular system raises blood pressure and increases the risk of cardiac disorders such as irregular heartbeat, heart attack, heart failure, and stroke. Because of the increased risk of surgery, lifetime intensive care, and death, heart issues are one of the most devastating long-term complications of sleep apnea.

Type 2 Diabetes

Blood carbon dioxide levels rise during sleep apnea, producing insulin resistance and excessive blood sugar. Type 2 diabetes alone raises the risk of nerve damage, kidney damage, and arm amputation.

Weakened Immune System

Along with a healthy diet, regular exercise, and efficient stress management, good sleep is essential for keeping a robust immune system. Sleep apnea-related sleep deprivation can weaken and impair the immune system, leaving you more prone to sickness, infections, and diseases.

Mood Disorders

Sleep deprivation may lead to rage and sadness, as well as issues in your interpersonal connections and family life. Sleep deprivation can also raise levels of the stress hormone cortisol in the body, disrupting the balance of the other hormones and neurotransmitters that govern moods, such as serotonin and dopamine. As a result, untreated sleep apnea is frequently associated with the development of mood disorders such as anxiety and depression.

Death

It is believed that heart disease or stroke causes 42% of fatalities in those with sleep apnea, and the risk of mortality is significantly higher if sleep apnea is not treated. Finding the appropriate diagnosis and adequate treatment for sleep apnea today can lower your chance of mortality dramatically.

The Importance of Seeking a Sleep Apnea Diagnosis

Sleep apnea’s irreversible repercussions might jeopardize your health and well-being even more. Finding the appropriate sleep apnea diagnostic will help you move one step closer to figuring out what’s causing your sleep issues and feeling healthier, livelier, and more energetic. The sooner you can prove that you have sleep apnea, the sooner you can start reversing and treating your condition’s health consequences.

Book an appointment with Baymeadows Park Dental for Sleep Apnea Treatment today.