Sleep is one of the most important parts of our day, regardless of your age. Your nighttime rest is the only time of day that your body can fully recharge, distraction-free. This is important for so many factors in our health -from immunity, to memory and everything in between. Without sleep, many health issues can crop up. This is why treating sleep apnea is so incredibly important!

Sleep apnea causes breathing to stop throughout the night, making sleep less restful overall.
If your body isn’t receiving the proper amount of sleep each night, you run the risk of other health issues that could impact your daily life and ability to function.

Potential Long-Term Side Effects of Untreated Sleep Apnea

Left untreated, your sleep apnea will cause you to always feel less-than rested because of low-quality sleep. This is because your body cannot fully rejuvenate and restore its vital functions like it’s supposed to when you fall fully asleep.

This can lead to any of the following long-term health issues:

Snoring
While this one may be more to the benefit of your significant other, sleep apnea left untreated comes with inevitable snoring due to airway blockage which is the main cause of the disorder.

Extreme Fatigue
With sleep apnea, your breathing is interrupted by an airway blockage. What this means is that every time your body needs to gasp for breath, you’re woken from important REM cycles, which means your body doesn’t get to fully rest!

High Blood Pressure
High blood pressure can be sometimes caused by the lowering of your blood oxygen level when you’re sleeping with interrupted breathing caused by sleep apnea.

Type 2 Diabetes
Sleep apnea can change your metabolism due to the lack of oxygen and proper sleep, which in turn promotes insulin resistance and can result in type 2 diabetes long-term.

Irregular Heart Beat
Due to the strain on the heart, irregular heartbeat is a common side effect of untreated sleep apnea.

Obesity
Less sleep means a lack of production of weight regulating hormones. A sleep-deprived person also lacks energy and will often search out a substitute source of energy (food) to stay awake. This can lead to overeating or unhealthy snacking just to keep from falling asleep in the middle of the day.

Stroke & Death
Sleep apnea and the breathing issues associated with it can cause decreased blood flow to the brain, which over time can cause the brain to have elevated pressure and issues with regulation, which can cause strokes and death. This is rare, but why wait for such extreme situations to get help with a sleep problem? Don’t wait!

As you can see, diagnosis and treatment of sleep apnea is so incredibly important! The good news is treatment is simple and painless, and you can get back to living a healthy lifestyle for years to come.

Marx Sleep Center Can Help You Manage Your Sleep Apnea Diagnosis

At Marx Sleep Center, your health is our top priority. We will review your sleep apnea diagnosis and work with you to come up with a treatment plan that will ensure you can live a happy and healthy life, symptom-free, helping to long-term side effects. Call Marx Sleep Center today at 816-287-2912! We are here for you.