Can Sleep Apnea Kill You? Here Are the Results From A Recent Study

Obstructive Sleep Apnea is the more common form of this disorder. However, OSA and CSA symptoms typically overlap. In some cases, a person may not even realize they’re experiencing signs of sleep apnea and may find out about it through their partner.

The following are Sleep Apnea symptoms^[1] to be aware of.

• Loud snoring
• Breathing starts and stops during the night (also known as “central sleep apnea“)
  
• Gasping for air during sleep
• Waking up with a dry mouth
• Headaches in the morning
• Trouble staying asleep 
• Excessive daytime sleepiness 
• Difficulty concentrating while awake
• Irritability

Interested in learning more? Check out our complete guide to sleep apnea.

Frequent snoring and gasping for air can be problematic for not only your health but your partner’s. The loud noises may prevent your partner from getting a good night’s rest, affecting their overall well-being.

Excessive tiredness can cause you to have trouble concentrating or be more likely to exhibit irritable moods. This could result in poor performance at work or school. For those who commute to their job, sleepiness while driving can be highly dangerous as well.

According to the Mayo Clinic, individuals with sleep apnea may experience high blood pressure and heart problems. When you stop breathing, this creates a sudden drop in oxygen blood levels. Experts warn those frequent, sudden drops can cause your blood pressure to rise and strain the cardiovascular system.

Furthermore, this sleep disorder increases your chance of getting a heart attack, stroke, or abnormal heartbeats.

Health experts say sleep apnea can cause your body to develop a resistance to insulin and affect your glucose metabolism, increasing your risk of type 2 diabetes^[2]. Advanced age and obesity are risk factors for type 2 diabetes as well as sleep apnea.

Sleep apnea has also been linked to metabolic syndrome. People living with this condition may experience both metabolic and cardiovascular complications, including hypertension, abnormal cholesterol levels, high blood sugar, and an increase in waist circumference. Researchers^[3] suggest metabolic syndrome could trigger obstructive sleep apnea, though additional research needs to be done to better understand the correlation between these two health conditions.

Major surgery, anesthesia, or certain medications could be problematic for patients with sleep apnea since they are easily susceptible to breathing issues. Therefore, Mayo Clinic experts recommend notifying your doctor of your sleep apnea before surgery.

Those with sleep apnea are more vulnerable to abnormal liver tests and scarring from nonalcoholic fatty liver disease.

According to the Mayo Clinic, there are two primary ways to diagnose this disorder: nocturnal polysomnography or at-home sleep tests.

When you initially visit your doctor, they may perform an evaluation before referring you to a sleep center. There, the specialist will likely have you undergo the Nocturnal polysomnography test, in which you’ll be hooked up to equipment while you sleep. This equipment will monitor your heart, lung, and brain activity, breathing patterns, arm and leg movements, and blood oxygen levels.

You may also have the choice of doing tests at home instead to observe your heart rate, blood oxygen level, airflow, and breathing patterns while asleep.

Find Out More: Why Sleep Apnea is Often Misdiagnosed?

You will likely first be advised to make healthy lifestyle changes such as losing weight or quitting smoking.

Sleeping on your side might also help to relieve the symptoms of sleep apnea. For those with older mattresses, we recommend looking at some of the beds designed for people with sleep apnea.

People with moderate to severe sleep apnea usually need to use a CPAP machine, which is a small pump that looks like a mask covering your nose and mouth, delivering a supply of compressed air.

This device looks similar to mouthguards that athletes use in sports. A MAD^[6] works to move the jaw and tongue forward to minimize any restrictions in the back of the throat.

Surgery is considered a last resort when other treatments have failed. There is a range of surgical treatments that have been used for sleep apnea, including tissue removal or shrinkage, soft palate implants, jaw repositioning, or tongue nerve stimulation. The Mayo Clinic reports that the most severe cases may require a tracheostomy, in which a surgeon makes an opening in your neck and inserts a tube to help you breathe.

Carrie Fisher was beloved for her iconic role as Princess Leia in the Star Wars films. The actress and writer passed away in 2016 at the age of 60.

According to the American Sleep Apnea Association, officials reported that sleep apnea and heart disease were major factors in Fisher’s death. The heart disease caused Fisher’s arteries to harden, ultimately leading to the heart attack that killed her.

Read More: 19 Celebrities With Sleep Apnea

In addition to Carrie Fisher, there have been other celebrity deaths linked to this sleep disorder.

• James Gandolfini 
• John Candy
• Grateful Dead frontman Jerry Garcia
• President William Howard Taft
• NFL player Reggie White

Those who use these machines need to clean and maintain them well. This is because a contaminated device could expose your skin to harmful germs, resulting in dirty bacteria touching your face and possibly causing irritation or infection^[7].

Additionally, if the pump is not properly cleaned, you could breathe in bacteria or mold.

There’s been some recent concern after CPAP machines from Philips were recalled^[8]. Researchers found that foam on the machine could break down and become toxic, possibly leading to cancer.

However, some positive research suggests that CPAPs may be able to help suppress cancer-related genes^[9].

The risks of untreated sleep apnea can be just as lethal as cancer, but if you have concerns about CPAP devices, you should consult with your doctor.