Sleep apnea is more than just a sleeping disorder that causes fatigue and restless nights. While it would be easy to brush off this sleeping disorder as a simple case of snoring combined with some breathing difficulties, there are some real dangers that can come if the symptoms are not treated. Sleep apnea health issues can cause long term and serious complications, so if you think that you or someone you know might have the condition, it’s time to look into sleep apnea study companies that can help diagnose and treat the underlying cause.

Daytime Fatigue is Riskier Than You Think

You may know that sleep apnea can cause tiredness, but not getting enough rest can actually be dangerous, and may impact your performance at work, or compromise personal relationships.

Fatigue changes your mode and will make you more irritable during the day. You may develop aggressive tendencies that are uncharacteristic to your personality. Fatigue also causes problems with clear thinking, leading to a loss of focus or even poor decision making. If you work in a dangerous industry like manufacturing, construction, or in any kind of job where you need to operate a vehicle or heavy machinery, then sleep apnea could become a major liability.

Even driving your car when suffering from sleep apnea can be dangerous. Millions of road accidents occur every year, and tens of thousands of these can be directly linked to sleep apnea health issues. A loss of focus on the road can be extremely dangerous, and falling asleep at the wheel could lead to serious injury or death. If you’re feeling fatigued and you’ve noticed symptoms like excessive snoring or breathlessness during the night, then you could be suffering from apnea. Sleep apnea study devices can allow for complete diagnosis, leading to an effective treatment plan.

Heart Problems Are Common Sleep Apnea Health Issues

When you suffer from apneas during the night, your breathing stops and your cardiovascular system is forced to step into overdrive. This can cause increased stress and blood pressure, and you may notice this when you wake up breathless and with night sweats. As apnea progresses over a longer period of time, these regular strains on your heart can lead to high blood pressure or the development of an abnormal heartbeat. Having low blood oxygen can be a serious problem that can lead to sudden death. If problems are ignored for a long period of time, then you may suffer from a heart attack or stroke.

These are serious risks that go far beyond just missing out on a good night’s rest, so there’s really no excuse not to have apnea treated, and even if you suspect the condition, it’s worth talking to a sleep testing center or your physician, even if it’s just to be on the safe side.

Diabetes a Risk for Apnea Sufferers

When you don’t get enough sleep, you will develop a hormonal imbalance that can impact your body’s ability to use insulin. This can lead to pre-diabetes, and eventual type 2 diabetes. Diabetes comes with a plethora of additional health risks, such as an increased chance of nerve damage, cardiovascular disease, eye problems, kidney damage, and it is even thought that diabetes can lead to Alzheimer’s disease and hearing impairment.

If you want to reduce your risk of developing type 2 diabetes and all of the additional problems that come with the disease, then you’ll need to address your sleep apnea health issues with testing and treatment.

Suffering from Apnea Can Lead to Weight Gain

The hormone imbalance caused by lost sleep can also lead to weight gain. Weight gain in itself can be a cause of sleep apnea, particularly in heavily overweight or obese patients. As you can see, many of the conditions are part of a highly dangerous and potentially deadly cycle. Weight gain can also lead to diabetes and heart disease, as well as other problems like bone and joint issues, depression, increased fatigue, and hypertension. Read more about healthy life.

A Closely Linked Chain of Sleep Apnea Health Issues

It is evident that the risk of complications from sleep apnea is high. Even if sleep apnea doesn’t directly lead to a problem like heart disease, gaining weight due to apnea could mean that you’re at increased risk of developing heart conditions in the future anyway. Again, it’s a dangerous cycle that could have an irreversible impact on your health, so talking to sleep apnea study companies about your concerns is an important step, and you should not delay.

VirtuOx is a leading provider of sleep apnea study equipment, allowing for home testing that is both convenient and cost effective. Devices are not only used for the diagnosis of sleep apnea, but for the continued monitoring and maintenance of the condition.

Sleep apnea can be treated, but you’ll need to take action as soon as you notice symptoms, giving you the best chance of staying healthy without any of the major complications.