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11 Sleep Apnea Side Effects

11 Sleep Apnea Side Effects
Posted on 03/04/2019
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Your Sleep Apnea Doctor in Manahawkin, NJ

As your trusted sleep apnea doctors in Manahawkin, NJ, we at Federici Dental are committed to helping patients achieve optimal dental health, providing treatments for a wide variety of conditions, including sleep apnea. We strive to educate our patients so that they can live a happy and healthy life, free from the effects of their condition. That’s why we’re here to discuss the following 11 sleep apnea side effects, and how they may impact your life if you’ve received a sleep apnea diagnosis.

Brain Fog

Obstructive sleep apnea causes a lack of sleep and also compromises your quality of sleep, which causes severe brain fog as you go about your day. Those with OSA may find it difficult to think clearly or solve problems, and also experience memory loss.

Anxiety

Repeated pauses or obstructions in breathing and oxygen deprivation can both set off the body’s fight-or-flight response, increase stress levels, and cause panic attacks.

Stroke

Sleep apnea has been linked to a number of conditions, including stroke. If you are suffering from obstructive sleep apnea, your risk of having a stroke is higher than those who do not have OSA.

Obesity

Obesity and sleep apnea can be a vicious cycle, as one will often inflame or worsen the other. Those who are overweight are more likely to have OSA, while not getting enough sleep can keep the body from using insulin properly, leading to weight gain and type 2 diabetes.

Impotence

Not only can sleep apnea curb your sex drive, it can also contribute to erectile dysfunction and impotence in men.

Congestive Heart Failure

Sleep apnea disrupts how the body receives oxygen, which makes it difficult for the brain to control how blood is pumping to the arteries. This increases your risk of heart attacks and congestive heart failure.

Depression

Those with OSA are much more likely to be depressed than those who do not have sleep apnea.

High Blood Pressure

Because failure to breathe puts undue pressure on the organs and body, sleep apnea can worsen pre-existing high blood pressure.

Arrhythmia

Obstructive sleep apnea increases your risk for fluttering heartbeats, irregular heart rhythms, and other heart issues.

Low Blood Oxygen Levels

Those with sleep apnea experience frequent pauses in breathing during the night. This deprives the body of oxygen that it needs to properly function and can cause low oxygen levels in the blood.

Type 2 Diabetes

While the relationship is not fully understood, sleep apnea and type 2 diabetes feed off of each other and can make each other worse.

Contact Your Manahawkin Sleep Apnea Doctor Today

If you’ve experienced the above side effects but haven’t received a sleep apnea diagnosis, we encourage you to schedule an appointment with us at Federici Dental. Our expert sleep apnea doctors will help you determine if you are suffering from obstructive sleep apnea or another condition, and create a personalized treatment plan to help you overcome it. If you have any questions related to sleep apnea, our services, or our practice, feel free to reach out to us at our contact page. We look forward to hearing from you!