Learn About The Dangers of Sleep Apnea & How To Spot Signs
More than 1/3 of American adults report sleeping less than seven hours per night. When coupled with a serious medical condition like sleep apnea, it can be even harder to get a good night’s sleep. There are dangers of sleep apnea that you should be aware of if you are experiencing these symptoms.
Sleep apnea deprives our bodies of the oxygen we need to function properly. When this happens, we suffer more than a poor night’s sleep or fatigue during the day. When left untreated, sleep apnea can cause numerous serious health problems.
Sometimes, the symptoms of sleep apnea can even be early warning signs of an underlying health condition. Keep reading to learn more about the dangers of sleep apnea, and how you can correct it with orthodontic treatment.
High Blood Pressure
High blood pressure is one of the dangers of sleep apnea. Left untreated, sleep apnea can lead to high blood pressure. For people who develop high blood pressure because of sleep apnea, the former usually gets better once they start treatment for the latter.
Sleep apnea can also lead to heart disease and heart attacks. This is attributed to the heart getting the oxygen that it needs and from the stress of not sleeping.
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Diabetes
Another one of the serious dangers of sleep apnea complication of untreated sleep apnea is diabetes. Although there’s not a direct link between the two at this time, the common symptom of obesity is a link between the two diseases. Many healthcare professionals believe that lack of sleep can cause you to become insulin resistant. Insulin resistance is a warning sign of the onset of diabetes in the future.
Mental Health
Sleep apnea can cause or exacerbate many mental health problems. The lack of sleep can cause you to develop symptoms of anxiety and depression. It can also cause current mental illnesses to become more pronounced.
What Are the Signs of Sleep Apnea?
To understand the dangers of sleep apnea, it’s also important to understand the common signs of sleep apnea. Some you may notice and some you may not notice in yourself.
- Unusually loud snoring.
- You stop breathing during your sleep. This is a sign that somebody else will usually notice first.
- You wake up suddenly feeling short of breath.
- You wake up with an unusually dry mouth or with a sore throat.
- You wake up every morning with a headache.
- You struggle to fall asleep or stay asleep (or you struggle with both).
- You are excessively tired during the day.
- You struggle to pay attention during the day.
- You’re irritable.
If you have these signs or if someone in your family tells you that they’ve noticed them in you, you should contact our experienced orthodontists to arrange a free consultation. We would be happy to discuss your concerns and formulate a plan to help improve your breathing at night.
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Orthodontists Associates of Western New York is proud to offer sleep apnea treatment throughout Buffalo, Lancaster, Olean, Hamburg, Orchard Park, and Dunkirk, East Aurora, and Niagara Falls New York.
If you have questions about the dangers of sleep apnea or are looking for a solution to your sleep apnea, please contact one of our 7 convenient orthodontic offices to arrange a free consultation. We are committed to helping you improve your health, and maintain a good night’s sleep.
