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Sleep Apnea and Heart Heath: Understanding the Connection

Untreated sleep apnea can increase the risk of serious conditions related to the heart; therefore, it is important to understand the connection and your treatment options.

While sleep apnea is often associated with disruptive symptoms, such as snoring, depression, and trouble concentrating in the daytime, did you know that this condition is also linked to other serious health issues? Untreated sleep apnea can increase the risk of serious conditions related to the heart; therefore, it is important to understand the connection and your treatment options. Ahead, learn more about the dangers that sleep apnea can present to your heart health.

Poor Sleep Quality and Heart Health

Sleep apnea is responsible for continuous interruptions in breathing and makes it difficult for your body to get proper amounts of oxygen during the night. These occurrences can each last for several seconds and can drastically reduce your quality of sleep. One of the many goals of sleep is to allow the body to recuperate. During sleep, both the heart rate and blood pressure decrease as the body rests. Interruptions in sleep mean the heart is not given sufficient time to recover from the day, thus raising your risk of serious heart-related conditions.

Straining the Heart

Due to sleep apnea, the heart is strained in many different ways. Consider the following:

Effects on the sympathetic nervous system: Whenever sleep apnea causes a person to stop breathing briefly, the oxygen level in the blood decreases. This leads to a natural response in the body that activates the sympathetic nervous system, which is most known for its role in responding to stressful situations by increasing heart rate and triggering a person to gasp for air.

Pressure changes: Breathing with sleep apnea can be difficult due to the narrowing of the airway. At night, sleep apnea may cause a person to inhale forcefully, which can lead to significant changes in chest pressure. As the condition persists, this pressure change can damage the heart and result in atrial fibrillation and heart failure.

Oxidative stress: Changes in oxygen level are common with sleep apnea during times when the individual is able to inhale successfully. After inhaling, oxygen is brought back into the lungs and nourishes the blood. However, this repeating fluctuation in oxygen level stresses the body and can contribute to heart disease.

A Full Breath Center dentist will be able to help you determine if sleep apnea treatment is right for you. Please make an appointment with Dr. P. J. Nagjee by calling (310) 435-7939.

Dr. Parimal Nagjee

Author

UNDERSTANDING SLEEP APNEA

Better Sleep Starts With Understanding the Cause

If frequent insomnia has become part of your routine, schedule a consultation with Dr. Nagjee to find out whether poor nighttime breathing may be contributing to your symptoms.

He’ll take the time to understand your concerns, explain your options, and recommend the treatment that’s right for you. If Full Breath Solution can help, he’ll explain exactly what comes next. If it isn’t the right approach, he’ll tell you that too.

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COMMON QUESTIONS

Frequently Asked Questions

Yes. Repeated interruptions in breathing can prevent your body from reaching deep, restorative sleep, making it difficult to stay asleep and leaving you feeling tired the next day.

Most of our patients come to us after struggling with CPAP or other oral appliances. Your first call with Dr. Nagjee helps determine whether the Full Breath Solution is the right option for your specific situation. He will tell you honestly on that call.

Most of our patients come to us after struggling with CPAP or other oral appliances. Your first call with Dr. Nagjee helps determine whether the Full Breath Solution is the right option for your specific situation. He will tell you honestly on that call.

Most of our patients come to us after struggling with CPAP or other oral appliances. Your first call with Dr. Nagjee helps determine whether the Full Breath Solution is the right option for your specific situation. He will tell you honestly on that call.

Most of our patients come to us after struggling with CPAP or other oral appliances. Your first call with Dr. Nagjee helps determine whether the Full Breath Solution is the right option for your specific situation. He will tell you honestly on that call.

Most of our patients come to us after struggling with CPAP or other oral appliances. Your first call with Dr. Nagjee helps determine whether the Full Breath Solution is the right option for your specific situation. He will tell you honestly on that call.