Don’t Ignore That Snore!
Do you wake up in the morning and feel restless and irritable? Or have family members told you that you snore loudly each night? If you answered yes to either of these, there is a chance you are experiencing symptoms related to a common condition known as sleep apnea. Unfortunately, there are a number of people who suffer from this condition and either remain undiagnosed or do not receive treatment to help their symptoms. Sleep apnea is a very serious condition that can greatly affect the state of your overall health. Read on to learn more.
Risks When Sleep Apnea Remains Untreated
More than 22 million people suffer from the effects of sleep apnea. Although there are many people who have been diagnosed, there are still more who have yet to receive a diagnosis or who are not receiving treatment once diagnosed. Quality sleep is necessary to function properly in our day-to-day lives. Not only does sleep apnea affect sleep quality, but it can be extremely damaging to your overall health and lead to serious health complications. When sleep apnea occurs, breathing stops multiple times a night, not allowing the body to get the oxygen it needs. The frequent airflow disruptions lead to serious health complications, such as:
Heart Problems or High Blood Pressure
It is not uncommon for patients who suffer from sleep apnea to experience issues with high blood pressure and, ultimately, heart complications. The continuous changes in blood oxygen levels when breathing stops during an episode cause irregularities in blood pressure. It also increases the chance of experiencing a heart attack, stroke, or unsteady heartbeat.
Irritability
Not getting adequate sleep every night will eventually cause serious changes in mood. It is also not uncommon for patients who suffer from sleep apnea to experience problems with anxiety and depression due to a lack of quality sleep.
If you are interested in learning more about sleep apnea and how we can help, be sure to contact our office, which is located on the Upper East Side, to schedule an appointment. We want to help you get the sleep you need to remain healthy and function properly each day.
