Heart
Attack/Stroke
Heart Attack/Stroke
Apnea causes the oxygen levels in the blood to drop to a dangerous
low while carbon dioxide levels rise. This causes cardiac arrhythmia
and can lead to fatal heart attacks and strokes.
Hypertension
(High Blood Pressure)
With Sleep Apnea,
breathing repeatedly stops and starts during sleep. The repeated episodes
of oxygen deprivation may damage the cellular lining of the blood
vessel walls, which may deprive blood vessels of the elasticity they
need to regulate blood pressure. Treating sleep apnea with a pressure
mask, nasal devices, surgery, weight loss or other steps can help
control the high blood pressure.
Irregular
Heartbeat
According to
a recent Mayo Clinic study, a common irregular heartbeat called atrial
fibrillation doubles the risk of obstructive sleep apnea indicating
that patients with atrial fibrillation should be screened for OSA,
particularly those with obesity or high blood pressure, known risk
factors.
Impotence
(Erectile Dysfunction)
Erectile dysfunction
in patients with sleep apnea could be related to patient's age and
chronic cerebral hypoxia due to apnea. Treatment with CPAP relieved
erectile dysfunction in one-third of these patients. One common theory,
is that because sleep apnea disrupts rapid-eye-movement or REM sleep
-- a time when men routinely experience erections. Decreased REM sleep
means fewer REM erections.
