Can Sleep Apnea Cause Death?
Sleep Apnea Must Be Taken Seriously As It Can
Result in Direct and Indirect Deaths
So how can sleep apnea cause death? Well, there
are actually a number of different ways. Some are the direct result
of apneic events while others are indirectly related to sleep
apnea (or "sleep apnoea" in British english, common
misspellings — sleep apnia, sleep apena and sleep aponea).
During sleep, sleep apnea patients can stop breathing dozens,
even hundreds of times per night from a few seconds to a couple
of minutes. During these apneic events the body is deprived of
oxygen and carbon dioxide levels increase.
Every cell in the body needs oxygen. Cells in
the brain, heart and organs deteriorate with prolonged periods
without oxygen. Usually the brain detects the reduction in oxygen
levels and pumps hormones into your system to wake you up and
get you breathing again.
Can Sleep Apnea Cause Death?
The Diabetes Connection
There is a correlation between sleep apnea and diabetes.
Oxygen starvation triggers the stress response and releases adrenaline
and cortisol into the bloodstream. This can result in reduced
insulin sensitivity. Once the body loses its ability to maintain
blood sugar levels and requires more insulin the stage is set
for the development of diabetes.
Can sleep apnea cause death? In the case of
diabetes, yes. There are other correlations between sleep apnea
and diabetes as well. Both conditions generally go undiagnosed.
Here is a shocking statistic:
93% of women and 82% of men with moderate to severe sleep apnea
syndrome have not been clinically diagnosed.1
About 40 percent of men with type II diabetes also have sleep
apnea and that percentage rises to 61 percent of men over 65.2
Can Sleep Apnea Cause Death?
Cardiovascular Problems with Sleep Apnea
The lowered oxygen levels caused by sleep apnea cause
the heart to have to work harder. This also causes damage
to all the organs but particularly dangerous is the impact on
the heart. This is expecially true for those with a pre-existing
heart condition who then develop sleep apnea as well. This double-whammy
puts the patient at a much higer risk of having a fatal heart
attack.
Sleep apnea has also been linked to fatal strokes.
"Yale researcher H. Klar Yaggi, MD, MPH, director of the
VA Connecticut sleep laboratory, and colleagues"... have
determined that "Those patients with obstructive sleep apnea
had about a twofold increased risk of stroke or dying compared
to those without sleep apnea," and "Those with more
severe obstructive sleep apnea had threefold risk of stroke or
death from any cause -- and that was after adjusting for other
stroke risk factors."3
Can Sleep Apnea Cause Death?
Indirect Deaths Caused by Sleep Apnea
Sleep apnea makes it difficult to get a good nights rest. One
of the symptoms of sleep apnea is tiredness after waking and during
the day. This fatigue makes it harder to maintain concentration
and lowers reaction times. Sleep apnea sufferers are more prone
to motor vehicle, heavy equipment and workplace accidents that
can be fatal.
Drivers with sleep apnea can be up to 15 times as likely
to wind up in a crash. In a worst-case-scenario the sleep
apnea sufferer will fall asleep at the wheel. In other cases micro-sleep
can be induced where the brain falls asleep for a second or so.
Even just the slower reaction time is like driving while mildly
intoxicated. These add up to fatalities caused by sleep apnea,
albeit indirectly.
The range of physical problems like reduced oxygen levels, damage
to the body, release of stress hormones like cortisol as well
as the psychological drain from relentless tiredness can result
in depression.
Left untreated, clinical depression can give rise to
thoughts of suicide. If you are feeling depressed please
mention this to your doctor. Your doctor can recommend options
to address both the sleep apnea and depression. Don't suffer in
silence.
Can Sleep Apnea Cause Death?
Sleep Apnea and Surgery
If you are going in for surgery for any reason and you will be
anesthetized it is very important that you tell the surgeon
and the anesthethist that you have sleep apnea.
They will be able to then take precautions to ensure that your
airway remains open, not only during the surgery but after surgery
in the recovery room.
This information will likely be requested in your pre-surgery
interviews but be sure to make a point of it so that everyone
involved in your surgical proceedure is made fully aware that
you have sleep apnea.
As we have seen the answer to the question, "Can sleep apnea
cause death?" is definitely "Yes." So please take
precautions and seek out the advise of your doctor. Sleep
apnea treatments, such as CPAP, have proven to improve sleep and,
therefore reduce the chances of sleep apnea resulting in death.
Related Articles:
What Is Sleep Apnea?
Symptoms of Sleep Apnea
Sleep Apnea Cures
Weight Gain Sleep Apnea Connection
Sleep Apnea Masks
Sleep Apnea Pillow
Snoring Mouthpiece
Snoring Remedies
Sleep Apnea Supplies
References:
1. Journal
Sleep
2. The
Sleep Apnea-Diabetes Connection by David Mendosa
3. New
Stroke Risk Factor: Sleep Apnea
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Cause Death to What Is Sleep Apnea?
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