Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is more than just loud snoring and disturbed sleep. It silently provokes inflammation throughout your body, which, in fact, can exacerbate OSA and contribute to other health issues. Let us unravel how inflammation and obstructive sleep apnea influence each other and what you can do to break this harmful cycle.
What Happens in OSA
In OSA, your airway partially or totally collapses while you sleep. As a result, you may experience tiny awakenings, low levels of oxygen in your blood, and constant involuntary responses as you struggle to catch your breath. These disruptions last all night and put strain on your body.
How Inflammation Gets Started
Each time you stop breathing, your blood oxygen goes down and carbon dioxide goes up. Your body interprets this lack of oxygen as dangerous and in response, secretes certain inflammatory substances, such as tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-alpha) and interleukin 6 (IL-6). Both are proteins (known as cytokines), which play crucial roles in inflammation and your body’s defense against injury and infections. Over time, this process leads to a constant mild inflammatory state that does not simply leave after you wake up. Unfortunately, this becomes chronic and hazardous.
Why That Matters
Surprisingly, inflammation is an unseen enemy. Ongoing low-grade inflammation takes a toll on your body contributing to problems with metabolic dysfunction, heart disease, blood pressure, and even thinking difficulties. Additionally, in obstructive sleep apnea, inflammation drives damage to your brain, vascular system, as well as other organs, which in turn may exacerbate breathing issues at night.
Inflammation and Brain Health
Did you know that low blood oxygen in OSA causes inflammation not only in your body but also in your brain? This involves activation of immune cells in the brain called microglia. These cells produce chemicals that trigger inflammation in the hippocampus and cortex regions of your brain, thus contributing to issues with your focus, memory, as well as decision-making process. Additionally, according to animal studies, it’s confirmed that regular low oxygen levels combined with inflammation cause loss of neurons and worsened cognitive function.
Measuring the Inflammatory Response
Research has detected several indicators of inflammation in individuals with obstructive sleep apnea, including the presence of C-reactive protein (CRP) and adhesion molecules in blood vessels besides the TNF-alpha and IL-6 (and -8) already mentioned above.
Patients with intermediate to extreme obstructive sleep apnea regularly display higher levels of these markers. The extent of elevation usually corresponds to the seriousness of their sleep condition.
Can Treatment Help?
Yes it can! The good news is that treatment can decrease inflammation. Studies show that using sleep equipment regularly reduces levels of inflammatory markers like CRP, tumor necrosis factor alpha, and interleukin 6. Hence, managing respiratory issues during sleep helps calm the chain of inflammatory events.
Additionally, oral devices that hold your jaw a bit forward to keep the airway open may also diminish sleep disturbances. Although these may not be as broadly tested for inflammation, they are helpful in alleviating the symptoms of OSA and improving the quality of sleep. As a consequence, better sleep contributes to the reduction of the inflammatory burden.
Why It Matters for Your Health
Besides obviously leading to tired mornings, untreated obstructive sleep apnea and inflammation raise the risk of heart disease, hypertension, diabetes, reduced cognitive abilities, arthritis, stroke, and even cancer. Doesn’t that make addressing the inflammation in your body a crucial part of protecting your long-term well-being?
What You Can Do
- Get a proper diagnosis. For example, a sleep study can show how frequently your breathing stops and how low your blood oxygen drops.
- Stick to efficient treatment, like regular sleep equipment therapy. Work with your coach or healthcare provider to make it easier for you to get used to it. If you find using sleep devices uncomfortable, oral appliances may be a good option.
- Embrace habits that reduce inflammation:
- Stay physically active
- Avoid alcohol and smoking
- Keep a healthy body weight
- Consume a well-balanced diet filled with omega-3 fatty acids, vegetables, and fruits
- Get enough sleep
- Stay consistent by treating OSA every night and practicing healthy habits every day. This way, inflammation will gradually decrease, and your body will heal.
Inflammation and obstructive sleep apnea seem to feed each other in a vicious cycle. Breathing pauses at night trigger chronic inflammation, which in turn makes your breathing worse and harms your organs. Treating OSA through a healthy lifestyle, oral devices, and sleep equipment has the potential to break this cycle. In doing so, you improve your sleep, reduce inflammation, and protect your brain, heart, and overall health. If you suspect this sleep disorder, reach out to a sleep expert as it could be one of the smartest health moves you’ll ever make. Good luck!