is sleep apnea dangerous
6 Essential Benefits of Treating Sleep Apnea at the Early Stage
Based on research, about 37 percent of adults around the globe are suffering from severe obstructive sleep apnea. Often, we see several cases of people who can’t sleep for up to 6 – 8 hours at a stretch without waking up at intervals to complain about breathing. Sleep apnea is among the most common health conditions causing restless sleep, loud snoring, daytime sleepiness, coughing while sleeping, sleep waking, obesity, daytime fatigue, and memory loss among adults. Yet, amazingly, it’s, perhaps, the most underrated. Most people with sleep apnea usually ignore the symptoms of sleep apnea or relate them to other health conditions without attempting any treatment options until the situation gets to a severe level. Amazing fact! When sleep apnea happens, it causes the throat muscles to relax, resulting in a blockage in the airway. At this level, mild sleep apnea patients may begin to experience some mild sleep apnea symptoms that can cause them to stop breathing at intervals when sleeping and make it difficult to fall asleep. Sleep disorders are usually mild at the initial stage. However, untreated sleep apnea may come with severe risk factors putting your daily routines to a halt.. step of treatment. That contributes to the widespread severe obstructive sleep apnea syndrome among older adults. What Is Sleep Apnea? Sleep apnea occurs in people when the throat muscles relax, causing a blockage in the air passage that sends air in and out of the nose. Sleep apnea happens in various types, as many risk factors can result in difficulty breathing when sleeping. The two major sleep apnea types are central and obstructive sleep apnea. Central sleep apnea happens when some parts of the brain don’t function properly and thereby stop breathing when sleeping. Central sleep apnea happens more in children, while obstructive sleep apnea is found to be more in older adults. However, both main types come with similar symptoms, such as loud snoring, mouth breathing when sleeping, nightmare, and more. Why you should treat sleep apnea at the mild stage Sleep apnea is not always a complicated health condition until the patient leaves it untreated, and the situation goes from bad to worse. Amazingly, countless people are struggling with the symptoms of sleep apnea without even attempting to go for treatment. Thus, it goes from snoring and coughing while sleeping to struggling with life. Yes, severe obstructive sleep apnea can stop one from breathing, making one’s night miserable. When you begin to notice difficulties in your sleep, the best thing is to visit a sleep laboratory for a detailed sleep study or invite a sleep specialist for home sleep apnea testing. Undiagnosed sleep apnea may damage your health. It may result in high blood pressure, stroke, diabetes, and heart attack. From a medical point of view, it is better to go for sleep apnea treatment when the situation is still mild. Late treatment comes with dangers that may affect the patient’s life immensely. Like every other health condition, severe obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) can become life-chocking as it stays untreated. However, you will save yourself from high risks if you seek medical help early. Here are ways to improve your health by addressing sleep apnea symptoms promptly. 6 Benefits of Treating Sleep Apnea Symptoms at the Early Stage 1. Better sleep refreshment One of the difficulties of severe obstructive sleep apnea is that it completely removes your sleep. When the airway is blocked during sleep, it becomes hard to sleep for 8 hours at a stretch. In fact, some sleep apnea patients depend on sleeping pills to have a normal sleep at night. People with sleep apnea would have to stop breathing at intervals, wake up and resume sleeping. As the body keeps waking up and returning to sleep, it prevents you from having a long, deep, enjoyable sleep all through the night. The inability to sleep properly at night will cause daytime sleepiness affecting your daily activities. For example, you may get angry at the slightest mistake, become moody throughout the day, or become dull and weak. Those who had a good night’s rest feel better and have adequate energy to engage in daytime activities Mild sleep apnea patients use continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) therapy or other treatments like an oral appliance, bilevel positive airway pressure therapy, and more. 2. Lower risk of developing stroke or heart attack Experts in the medical world have given a fantastic revelation that most people struggling with severe symptoms of sleep apnea are commonly diagnosed with the incidence of hypertension. Those who can get a good night’s rest are less likely to be in danger of hypertension. Precisely, the report claimed that the incidence of stroke and heart problems is five times greater in people with severe obstructive sleep apnea. Early response treatment is an excellent way to prevent sleep apnea. You can treat sleep apnea with a mere change in your sleeping positions or entire lifestyle to free your narrowed airway and improve air pressure. 3. Reduced risk of depression People with severe sleep apnea can experience severe depression. As a matter of fact, experts proved that adults might experience an increased risk of depression as moderate sleep apnea symptoms become more severe. Although, even mild sleep apnea can expose the patient to depression. But, the effect of depression increases when sleep apnea increases. 4. Lower risk of death We are all mortals, suggesting that many things could lead to death when the situation gets severe. Unfortunately, sleep apnea is an underrated health condition that may result in untimely death. By implication, on-time sleep apnea treatment can save you from unexpected death and put you in the appropriate healthy state. Meanwhile, it is easy to ignore sleep apnea symptoms when they are still mild. But, unfortunately, doing that can increase the risk of dying by three times. 5. Reduced risk of diabetes Sleep apnea is a health condition that can increase your risk of developing diabetes when left untreated for a long time.
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