An Examination Of The Serious Health Problems Which Can Come With Sleep Apnea
Sleep Apnea Carries With It Various Other Serious Health Problems
Sleep apnea is not something to be taken lightly and is a condition that is not going to disappear on its own in time. In fact sleep apnea is classified as being a “progressive disease” which means that just like cancer, diabetes and heart disease it worsens with time. There is a lot of discussion amongst doctors over the effect that sleep apnea has on other medical conditions. Having said this, there is a clear link between sleep apnea and several physical conditions including hypertension, heart failure, heart attack, diabetes, kidney failure, pulmonary hypertension and stroke.
An increasing amount of research is looking at why the above health problems are connected with problems that erupt the upper airways of a person suffering from sleep apnea. It is well known of course that being overweight, tobacco smoking and excessive alcohol consumption play a role in sleep apnea and lead to a greater probability of developing heart disease and high blood pressure. It is not clear however why some people without these elements in their lifestyle still get sleep apnea.
When breathing stops during a sleep apnea episode the bloodstream has increased carbon dioxide levels and lower oxygen levels. As a result of this, several both chemical and physical changes takes place in the body which then raises the possibility of other problems arising in the body.
In people with sleep apnea who are also overweight researchers have discovered high levels of immune factors called interleukin 6 (IL-6) and tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha). High levels of both of these factors can cause serious inflammation in the body which can cause cell damage, especially within the arteries. In one study it was shown that individuals with elevated levels of tumor necrosis factor-alpha suffered from excessive tiredness, shortness of breath and a weak heart-pumping action. But it must be said that at this point no clear causal relationship has been established between obstructive sleep apnea and heart disease.
Numerous studies have been carried out to examine sleep apnea and hypertension and a link has been established between the two. To give an example, a study performed in 2000 examined patients over a four year period and demonstrated that the greater the number of apnea episodes they experienced during the first year the greater was the risk of developing high blood pressure by the third or fourth year. Even in those who snored or who experienced mild sleep apnea there was a weak but nonetheless higher than normal link with high blood pressure.
In the past the link between hypertension and sleep apnea was thought to be strongly connected to obesity. However recent studies are pointing to the fact that high blood pressure is seen especially in those who suffer from sleep apnea regardless of what their weight is.
Blood pressure has an effect on sleep apnea simply because it changes tremendously during repeated sleep apnea episodes. These fluctuations are also associated with changes in the form of sudden surges that occur within the sympathetic nervous system. This system controls involuntary muscles and most importantly those in the blood vessels and heart. It is strongly believed that as time passes these variations could play an important role in the development of permanent and long term hypertension.
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