It’s difficult to think that what might seem like a simple snore can be an underlying cause of obstructive sleep apnea (OSA). Research also shows that sleep apnea can cause hypertension due to oxygen deprivation in the airways. In addition, doctors found a reciprocal relationship between high blood pressure and sleep apnea, as the former can worsen breathing among patients.
Filipinos rank 4th being sleep-deprived with a million individuals suffering from sleep apnea, and are at risk of hypertension. High blood pressure can ultimately result in cardiac arrest, which brings heart disease a top silent killer in society today.
Luckily, studies show that sleep apnea treatment can lower blood pressure. To understand how the two can be correlated, let’s take a glance at these ailments and see how they connect in both ways.
What is sleep apnea?
Sleep apnea is a common medical condition that occurs when a person’s breathing is obstructed during sleep. It happens when the muscles at the back of the throat relax and close the airway when you breathe. When your body sense you can’t breathe, it’ll jolt you awake so you can reopen your airways.
Frequent awakenings, nonetheless, can ruin a good night’s sleep. You’ll wake up feeling tired, irritable, or depressed.
Symptoms of sleep apnea:
How can you tell if you have sleep apnea? There are a variety of factors that brings in sleep apnea. It can range from food, weight, hypothyroidism, and even hypertension.
Snoring. Snoring is usually loud that produces complex vibrations on the palate, followed by a strong epiglottal snore. OSA’s sound is characteristically throaty.
Apneic episodes. Apnea is a pause between breathing. Periods of apnea can occur five to 100 times in an hour. Even five apnea periods are considered abnormal. A person with OSA has 30 to 50 apneic episodes in an hour. Given that the individual sleeps for 7 hours, an overall 210 to 350 episodes happen during sleep.
Gasping for air. When a person is jolted awake when sleeping, they are often characterized as someone gasping for air. This feeling sometimes continues in the morning.
Dry mouth. Dry mouths happen especially if you sleep with your mouth open. This can also occur in clogged airways or other medical conditions such as diabetes, stroke, or Alzheimer’s. But, sleep apnea is one of the most common reasons for a dry mouth.
The symptoms can be any of the following or a combination of two or more influences.
Who are at risk of sleep apnea?
Sleep apnea can affect anyone. But, there are lifestyle and factors that increase one’s chances of catching this condition.
Obesity. People who are overweight tend to collect fat deposits on the neck area, especially in the upper airway. This can obstruct breathing, thus, preceding to sleep apnea.
Age. Aging adults have more relaxed muscles at the back of their throats, which further increases the chance of leading to sleep apnea.
Family history. Genes play an important role in people at risk of sleep apnea. People with thicker necks or inherited a narrow throat can block airways.
Alcohol, smoking, and drugs. These substances can relax the muscles and worsen sleep apnea.
Men. Men are likely to have this condition than women, due to lifestyle, construction of the mouth, and more. However, women can equally increase their risk of sleep apnea after menopause.
Loud snoring and apneic episodes indicate a potentially serious sleep apnea conditions. If you have signs of sleep apnea, ask your doctor about any sleep solutions or medications.
What is hypertension?
Hypertension is a medical condition when blood pressure is elevated, allowing the heart to pump faster, and forcing circulation of the blood to go faster against the walls of the blood vessels. High blood pressure happens when there’s a huge amount of blood your heart pumps against the narrow resistance of blood flow in your arteries.
This creates stress in the body including headaches, difficulty in breathing, and palpitation. When this condition continues in the long term, it’ll cause cardiovascular problems that may lead to cardiac arrest.
Symptoms of hypertension
Common symptoms of hypertension include:
- Headaches
- Fatigue
- Palpitation
- Shortness of breath
However, most people show no physical signs of high blood pressure despite readings having reached more than 140 over 90 mmHg. These can be dangerous as detection can’t be interpreted as hypertension. If one has a history of high blood pressure, it’s best to monitor it regularly with a physician.
What causes hypertension?
Causes of high blood pressure can be linked to lifestyle (food, drink, and activities) or related to a certain medical condition such as hypothyroidism, diabetes, and sleep apnea. Even stress and anxiety can have a detrimental effect on your blood pressure. Common risk factors include:
Food. An unhealthy diet including high-cholesterol, fatty, or processed foods can clog your arteries. This makes your heart pump faster in narrower walls, thus, leading to high blood pressure.
Obesity. The heavier you weigh, the more blood you need to circulate oxygen to your body. People who are heavy need more volume of blood circulating in your blood vessels, thereby, increasing the pressure on your heart and artery walls.
Age. Hypertension is common in individuals aged 60 years old and above. Men develop high blood pressure at an average age of 64 years old, while women catch the condition more commonly at age 65.
Sedentary lifestyle. People with low physical activity tend to have their hearts work harder for each contraction. This also needs a stronger force on your arteries to work for each circulation. Lack of exercise also increases the risk of obesity.
Harmful substances. Drinking too much can damage your heart and increases the risk of high blood pressure. Meanwhile, the chemical found in cigarette smoking causes your arteries to narrow.
While high blood pressure is common in adults and seniors, children may also be at risk as well. It can be caused by kidney or heart problems diagnosed early on. However, poor lifestyle decision is a major factor that contributes to high blood pressure.
How can sleep apnea cause hypertension?
Sleep apnea and hypertension are often interlinked together and may cause severe complications like heart problems. Studies found that OSA leads to hypoxemia which results in an increase in nocturnal heart rate.
Normally, blood pressure decreases to a level of 125mmHg when we rest. Sleep apnea disrupts this rest by obstructing the airway with its periodic apneic episodes, which further leads to oxygen deprivation.
If your body doesn’t get enough oxygen, your heart pumps harder in narrow arteries, resulting in high blood pressure. It can strain the cardiovascular system and increases also the risk of stroke and abnormal heartbeats. In severe cases, oxygen deprivation leads to death.
Doctors have learned that when sleep apnea is treated, it has a direct impact on lowering blood pressure also.
Snoring is a serious issue
If you or your partner snores, remember that it can be something serious – sleep apnea and high blood pressure are not far from that possibility. Both medical conditions when left untreated may result in cardiovascular issues. Fortunately for you, there is a treatment for both ailments that can reduce the symptoms related to the other.
With the help of your dentist and sleep specialist, you can work to find a better treatment conducive to your needs. Tossing and turning at nights can have a huge impact on your sleep quality. Call a doctor today and request an appointment with one of your sleep specialists.
