The truth is, sleep apnea is one of the most frequent sleep disorders Americans suffer from that can affect patients’ lives in many ways. On the other hand, many lifestyle choices, one of which is smoking, affect sleep apnea. Some experts even believe in the possibility that smoking causes sleep apnea. So, there’s evidently a strong connection between these two.

To find out everything you need to know about it, just continue reading this article.

The Connection Between Smoking and Sleep Apnea

Namely, each of the three types of sleep apnea has a unique relationship with smoking.

First, the most common type is Obstructive Sleep Apnea (OSA) characterized by blocked airway caused by tissue collapse in the back of the throat due to relaxed muscles. As a result, breathing interruptions occur and the flow of oxygen in the blood gets reduced. And, statistics show that smokers are more likely to develop sleep apnea than those who don’t smoke.

Another type of sleep apnea is Central Sleep Apnea (CSA) which is closely linked to brain function because, in this type of sleep disorder, the brain fails to tell the lungs to breathe which also lowers the oxygen levels in the blood. Consequently, headaches and fatigue appear, which are common symptoms of quitting smoking, too.

Last, the third type of sleep apnea is Complex Sleep Apnea Syndrome (CompSAS) which is the least common of all three. Patients suffering from this particular condition have both OSA and CSA simultaneously. Thus, to alleviate your symptoms and get a good night’s sleep, make sure you seek professional help in case you are diagnosed with CompSAS.

The Connection Between Smoking and Snoring

Research shows that there’s a link between snoring and the amount of smoking. In general, snoring is a result of decreased airflow in the lungs, which actually plays a huge role in sleep apnea development. That’s why experts try to raise the awareness of smoking being one of the risk factors for snoring.

Quitting Smoking and Sleep Apnea

Even though many experts are concerned that smoking cigarettes may cause sleep apnea, some are also concerned with the opposite, i.e. that quitting smoking can cause this sleep disorder.

When quitting smoking you may experience numerous symptoms like headaches, coughing, nausea, tingling, irritability, etc. But, one of the most common is insomnia which may be characterized by sleep apnea symptoms, which is having trouble falling and staying asleep and daytime fatigue.

Luckily, those symptoms are only temporary. Once your body adjusts to nicotine withdrawal you will be able to enjoy a better quality of life and will be able to get a good night’s sleep. And, bear in mind that smokers are at great risk of developing sleep apnea. If you are an active smoker, sleep apnea symptoms progress quickly and affect the quality of life.

How to Alleviate Sleep Apnea Symptoms Caused by Smoking?

Finally, once you’ve read everything above, you may conclude that sleep apnea and smoking are closely connected. Speaking precisely, smoking aggravates the reduction of blood oxygen flow which is originally a symptom of Obstructive Sleep Apnea. However, if you want to find relief, you have to put your health and well-being first, quit smoking, wait for the side-effects to go away, and finally enjoy a healthier life.