Since sleep apnea disrupts your sleep, it can lead to:
- Depression
- Poor memory
- Poor work or school performance
- Trouble concentrating or paying attention
- Insomnia
- Weight gain and difficulty losing weight
Sleep disruption can also cause excessive sleepiness, which can lead to falling asleep at inconvenient or even dangerous times, such as driving, reading, or watching computer screens.
Treatment can help improve these symptoms and reduces your risk of an accident.
If untreated, moderate to severe sleep apnea:
- Increases your risk of several medication conditions
- Makes some conditions harder to treat
These include:
- Heart disease (coronary artery disease)
- High blood pressure
- Stroke
- Atrial fibrillation (an irregular heart rhythm)
- Pulmonary hypertension (high blood pressure in the lung arteries)
Treatment with CPAP can reduce these long term risks to your health.
If you think you may have sleep apnea, but have not been diagnosed, reach out to discuss options for getting tested, either at home or in a sleep center.
Once you have a positive test for sleep apnea, you can begin treatment.
Treatment is usually in the form of a CPAP machine that you wear at night. Other options include dental devices, significant weight loss, or medical procedures, but these are not appropriate for everyone.
Reach out to Galileo or another medical provider for help with sleep apnea testing or treatment.
Treating sleep apnea can help you feel better and lowers your risk for other medical problems.
