Is sleep apnea fatal?

Sleep apnea is a medical condition that causes someone to breathe intermittently during sleep. The most common type is obstructive sleep apnea (OSA), in which the soft tissue at the back of the throat relaxes and blocks airflow during sleep. These interruptions occur throughout the night, often lasting 10 seconds or more. The American Sleep Apnea Association estimates that around 22 million people have sleep apnea in the country, many of whom have sleep apnea not being aware of any interruptions in their sleep at night. , according to VerywellHealth.

The first symptoms that people with sleep apnea notice are excessive sleepiness accompanied by daytime fatigue, irritability, inability to concentrate, sexual dysfunction, depression, anxiety. At night, people with sleep apnea will snore frequently, gasp during the night, and sleep peacefully.

People at high risk of sleep apnea are people with obesity, large neck circumference, family history of the disease, small airways, enlarged tonsils, especially in children 6 years old. In addition, people who use sedatives, alcohol, and smoke are also at high risk for this disease.

Untreated sleep apnea leads to serious, possibly life-threatening health conditions. Such serious health conditions include, coronary heart disease, stroke, diabetes, transient ischemic attack, heart failure, cardiac arrest.

Besides, sleep apnea also reduces the overall quality of sleep, restricting oxygen flow. This puts the body in a constant state of stress, negatively affecting the heart and many other organs.

A 2021 systematic review and meta-analysis found that obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is associated with an increased risk of death from cardiovascular disease and stroke. People with severe OSA have a higher risk of heart disease and death than people with mild or moderate OSA. Other research has shown that sleep apnea is often associated with high blood sugar, treatment-resistant hypertension (high blood pressure), and recurrent atrial fibrillation. Additionally, excessive daytime sleepiness can also put people with sleep apnea at risk for accidents, such as falling asleep while driving or operating machinery.

As such, if left untreated, sleep apnea is not directly fatal, but they do increase the risk of several potentially fatal health complications, such as heart disease, diabetes, and heart disease. and stroke. Very Well Health, said a study in the US showed that more than 38,000 people in this country die each year from heart disease complicated by sleep apnea.

Experts recommend that, to control sleep apnea, you can change your lifestyle by sleeping in a different position, such as lying on your side instead of on your back. You should also lose weight if you are overweight, quit smoking, do not drink alcohol before bed, do not take sedatives unless prescribed. In the case of mild OSA, these changes are pretty much decisive in the management of symptoms. However, in cases of more severe symptoms such as unexplained fatigue, morning headaches, difficulty falling asleep, especially a feeling of suffocation… it is advisable to visit a specialist hospital for treatment. examination and appropriate treatment.

Mr. Chi (According to VeryWellHealth)