The last thing that anyone with sleep apnea needs is to compound their condition with respiratory distress such as through the development of pneumonia. While studies show evidence that people with sleep apnea are potentially more vulnerable to developing pneumonia, there are ways to decrease that risk for CPAP machine users.
Sleep plays a vital role not only in our physical health but our mental health as well. Specifically, quality sleep is important for cognitive function and long-term memory. Perhaps that is why it comes as no surprise that some research suggests a link between sleep orders such as obstructive sleep apnea and Alzheimer’s.
Panic attacks can be common among people who are first starting CPAP therapy. According to a 2012 study at the University of California, Berkeley, when a person has apnea, their body releases certain hormones of anxiety and panic to try to restore breathing. In addition, people who suffer from panic attacks, in general, are more likely to have episodes while trying to fall asleep or while sleeping.
If surgery is necessary for a person’s life, having surgery while also having sleep apnea, is doable with some extra precaution. There may be some special care when dealing with anesthesia, from preparation to after the surgery is concluded. Medical professionals have known for quite some time that patients with sleep apnea were at an increased risk of developing complications after operations.
Sleep apnea is a widespread sleep condition and occurs when people repeatedly start and stop breathing frequently throughout the night while they are sleeping. Because it is an illness that occurs during sleep, many people do not even know they have it, and it could go undiagnosed their whole life. Undiagnosed and untreated sleep apnea is very harmful, and can certainly lead to shortened life expectancy.
Due to its systemic and chronic nature, the potential list of possible sleep apnea side effects appears to be growing as a recent study shows evidence of a link between sleep apnea and hearing loss. The study found that sleep apnea was associated with hearing impairment at both high and low frequencies. That finding held true even after the researchers adjusted the data for other possible causes of hearing loss.
