Just because you’ve addressed the noisy snoring problems brought by sleep apnea doesn’t mean the problem has ceased. Hundreds of cases realized too late that the sleeping disorder does have dangerous side effects. These risky situations often come in the dead of the night, devious like a seasoned thief. As if the disrupted nights aren’t enough, sleep apnea also poses fatal threats to people who have been afflicted with the condition. Here are some of its dangerous side effects.
1. Stroke or heart attacks are likely to be developed due to increased blood pressure. Such increase comes after a series of restless nights and the stress that comes the day after. The imbalance of oxygen and carbon dioxide supply in the body also constricts the blood vessels, resulting to stroke and arrhythmia, and in many instances, sudden death.
Whenever a person doesn’t get quality sleep, it follows they become unproductive at work, always anxious and irritable, even more pressured at trying to cope with daily demands of their career. Add all these to lack of sleep, anyone would be at the chronic risk of elevated blood pressure. Hence, many people with sleep apnea suddenly get a heart attack or suffer from serious stroke.
2. Mental disorders could also result from sleep apnea, or worsened should the case be already present. Some milder forms of mental disorders have also resulted from sleep deprivation. There is an increasing report of people with sleep apnea who battled memory loss and inability to keep focus, as well as difficulty in learning and carrying on with usual work or daily routines. This is because people who have suffered from sleep apnea for a long period would have been deprived of physical and psychological rest, particularly bedtime respite.
Not only that, medical specialists have pointed out that lowered oxygen supply means the brain cells cannot function properly. Thus, people with existing mental illnesses could either suffer from worst conditions. At the same time, those who don’t have it are prone to acquiring the mind disorder due to sleep apnea.
3. Emotional breakdown is one of the most common side effects of sleep apnea. Usually triggered due to lack of sleep for long periods, those afflicted become depressed and de-motivated. A good number also reported having unhappy thoughts and mood swings after bouts with sleepless nights. Most of the people with sleep apnea would also complain of incessant headache and develop migraines, causing even more despair and mounting stress as the pain keep them from being productive during daytime.
Indeed, while much milder than a mental disorder, a quick intervention or treatment of sleep apnea is in order. Otherwise, the emotional breakdown could further push psychiatric concerns that would need professional help and medications.
4. Weight gain is another notable sleep apnea side effect. Medical experts quickly point to the increased blood sugar levels and hormonal imbalance. But another common root cause for the acquired fats and flab would the altered lifestyle brought about by sleep apnea. For one, sleepless nights render any person a lazy, sluggish day where the person just doesn’t have much energy to stay active even at work. They are too tired from lack of restful sleep and so would rather just be seated for long hours, thus, the increase of body mass.
More so, the emotional upheaval often results to overeating or consuming unhealthy pre-cooked meals. Both choices are grounds for gaining weight after a short period, particularly because people who lack rest would be too tired to burn off extra fat and calories.
5. Sickliness would often result at the onset of sleep apnea. Doctors are quick to point out that this is due to impairment in the immune system. The degeneration of the body’s innate ability to ward off diseases is brought about by the lack of oxygen supply, pushed even gravely by lack of physical rest particularly bedtime. Soon enough, people with sleep apnea develop cough and colds, and other ailments.
Men afflicted with this disorder also complain of a curbed libido, increased susceptibility to common diseases and respiratory problems. As with women, the root cause would be that their bodies are deprived of oxygen, thus the systems and organs’ functions are grossly affected. It’s also stressed that people with sleep apnea would slowly lose appetite as their conditions worsen, thus, the body don’t get the sufficient nutrients from food.
6. Fatal accidents are likely to take place when people are inattentive and tiredness. As both could result from bouts with sleep apnea, those suffering from the disorder actually walk the very thin line of safety. A huge chunk of road accidents ad minor mishaps at home and work are attributed to being deprived of sleep.
Moreover, suddenly losing focus or falling asleep while driving has become a cause for alarm. Indeed, those suffering from sleep apnea are courting danger whether they’re behind the wheels, operating a machine or equipment and even just walking down the street. They risk harming themselves and others, whether on the road, at work or even in their own bathrooms.
With all these dangers to one’s health and life in general, it is important that sleep apnea treatments must be sought right on. If you have suspicions that you or a loved one has this serious sleep disorder, visiting your doctor is the next best move. You wouldn’t want to risk your health and life with all these dangers, right?
