You might think snoring is the biggest issue that sleep apnea causes. But did you know that if you’re one of the 18 million American adults diagnosed with sleep apnea, you’re at a higher risk of developing heart disease or dying from a sudden cardiac event?
The good news is that effective treatments exist to help you manage your sleep disorder. At The Beverly Hills Lung and Sleep Institute, our board-certified providers offer personalized sleep apnea treatments for patients in the Los Angeles, California area.
Our doctors also believe in the power of patient education, so we’ve created this guide to help you better understand the link between sleep apnea and heart health. Here’s what you need to know.
Sleep apnea is a sleep disorder that means you stop breathing for short periods while you sleep. Different types of this condition exist. Here’s a closer look:
Most people have obstructive sleep apnea. With this form of sleep disorder, the muscles in your throat relax too much when you sleep. As a result, you appear to stop breathing periodically, and you also usually snore loudly.
Another type of sleep apnea is central sleep apnea, which develops because of a misfiring of signals between your brain and your throat muscles. This type is less common than obstructive sleep apnea, but it can trigger the same symptoms.
Finally, some people have combined-type sleep apnea. You’re diagnosed with this condition if you have both central and obstructive sleep apnea.
Since sleep apnea happens when you’re asleep, it’s often challenging to know if you have the condition. Snoring or “loud” sleeping is a key sign, but unless the person you sleep near tells you that you have these symptoms, you might not realize it.
Sleep apnea also triggers daytime symptoms. If you experience any of the following, be sure to schedule a consultation with a provider at The Beverly Hills Lung and Sleep Institute for an evaluation:
Untreated sleep apnea can also lead to memory issues and trouble concentrating during daytime activities.
Recent research shows that untreated sleep apnea is linked to an increased risk of cardiovascular disease, like abnormal heart rhythms (arrhythmia), heart failure, and coronary heart disease.
In fact, people with sleep apnea are 140% more likely to experience heart failure than those without the condition! While scientists are still researching to better understand this link, they hypothesize that sleep apnea increases cardiac disease in several key ways:
Sleep apnea stresses your body, causing your blood pressure and heart rate to rise. This means your heart has to work harder to get enough blood to your brain and your body. Increased blood pressure also means there’s less oxygen circulating through your body.
Combined, these factors put extra pressure on your heart and the walls of your arteries, making it more likely for you to die from sudden cardiac death.
Before creating a personalized sleep apnea treatment plan, your provider at The Beverly Hills Lung and Sleep Institute first diagnoses which type of sleep apnea you have. Your provider takes into account your symptoms and personal preferences and may recommend:
If you’re concerned you may have sleep apnea, or to get personalized treatment advice, schedule an appointment online or over the phone with one of our providers at The Beverly Hills Lung and Sleep Institute today.
