Sleep apnea is a common condition that is often overlooked. It is a disorder characterised by interruptions in breathing during sleep. It lasts for a long time and can happen many times throughout the sleeping period. Individuals with sleep apnea experience a poor quality of sleep due to repeated awakening. These disruptions have repercussions like severe drowsiness, fatigue and irritability.
Recent studies have emerged stating that there is a relationship between sleep apnea and cardiovascular health. If you are someone having sleep apnea, you have a high chance of developing heart-related disorders like hypertension, heart failure, coronary artery disease, stroke and irregular heartbeat.
In our blog, we will delve into details about how sleep apnea negatively affects your heart health and why sleep apnea treatment in Kolkata is a must.
Signs That Indicate You Might Have Sleep Apnea
Check out the following signs to understand if you are the one with sleep apnea.
- Loud snoring
- Awakening with a dry mouth
- Gasping for air during sleep
- Morning headache
- Clenching/ Grinding at night excessive day time sleepiness
- Sweating during sleep
- Repeated bathroom breaks at night
- Jaw pain and facial stiffness / tiredness
- Brain fog
Sleep apnea & cardiovascular disease risks: What’s the connection
Sleep apnea treatment is extremely crucial for your overall well-being. The condition does more than disrupt the sleeping patterns of individuals. It has been reported that patients coming to cardiologists have a high prevalence of obstructive sleep apnea (OSA).
OSA occurs when the upper airway is obstructed or partially collapsed during sleeping, causing difficulty in breathing. As a result, there is a reduction of oxygen levels in the body. When enough oxygen can’t get into your blood, the heart rate increases to compensate for the reduced arterial oxygen content and match oxygen delivery to the tissues. Repeated triggering of reduction in oxygen levels and physiological stress greatly impacts cardiovascular health.
Moreover, untreated sleep apnea is a major risk factor for hypertension, a condition where the heart has to work harder to pump throughout the body. Over time, the constant workload weakens the heart and leads to heart failure or other major complications like damage and inflammation in the coronary arteries.
Individuals with sleep apnea often experience changes in pressure in the chest. The reason for this is that the person with this condition inhales against a narrowed or closed upper airway. The forced inhalations result in a significant change in the chest cavity pressure, also known as intrathoracic pressure. The constant change leads to atrial fibrillation, problems with blood flow to the heart and even heart failure.
Additionally, sleep apnea is also associated with the increased risk of stroke. A stroke happens when there is less blood flow in the brain which occurs when the blood vessels burst or clot. Not getting enough sleep increases blood pressure and contributes to plaque buildup in the arteries, thereby blocking the blood vessels that supply blood to the brain.
If you think that you have sleeping disorders or more precisely sleep apnea, make sure to seek sleep apnea treatment in Kolkata from an experienced specialist to manage the condition effectively.
Treatment Options For Sleep Apnea
In most cases, surgery is done to remove the obstruction or tighten the flabby throat tissues. In severe cases, Continuous Positive Airway Pressure (CPAP) is recommended to maintain the air pressure in the lungs.
For patients who find it difficult to sleep with CPAP, oral appliances are a good choice that is worn over the teeth to prevent the jaw from falling back, keeping the airway open.
Conclusion
Remember that sleep apnea is not just a sleeping disorder. Its impact on cardiovascular health is life-threatening. Hence, addressing the concern by getting the best sleep apnea treatment in Kolkata is necessary for improving sleep quality and reducing the risks of these issues.
Get yourself treated with a board-certified doctor with Mandibular Advancements Devices for obstructive sleep apnea.
