Sleep apnea is something which needs to be treated seriously and is a condition that will go away by itself with time. In fact sleep apnea is classified as being a "progressive disease" and this means that just like diabetes, heart disease and cancer it worsens in time. There is a great deal of discussion in the medical community about the effect that sleep apnea has on other medical problems. There is a definite link between sleep apnea and a number of physical conditions including hypertension, heart attack, heart failure, diabetes, pulmonary hypertension, stroke and kidney failure.
An increasing amount of research is looking at why these health problems are related to problems that erupt the upper airways of people with sleep apnea. It is well known that being overweight, smoking and abusing alcohol contribute to sleep apnea and lead to a higher chance of developing heart disease and hypertension. It is not clear however why some people without these lifestyle problems still develop sleep apnea.
Whenever breathing stops during a sleep apnea episode the bloodstream shows higher carbon dioxide levels and decreased oxygen levels. As a result of this, several both chemical and physical events occur in the body which then raises the possibility of other problems being seen.
In individuals who suffer from sleep apnea and who are also overweight researchers have discovered high levels of immune factors known as interleukin and tumor necrosis factor-alpha. High levels of these factors can lead to serious inflammation which can cause cell damage, particularly in the arteries. In one study it was found that individuals with raised levels of tumor necrosis factor-alpha experienced shortness of breath, excessive tiredness and weak heart pumping. However it must be said that at this time no clear causal relationship has been scientifically established between sleep apnea and heart disease.
Various studies have been carried out to look at sleep apnea and high blood pressure and a connection has been established between the two. To give an example, a study undertaken in 2000 looked at patients for four years and reported that the greater the number of apnea episodes they experienced in the first year the greater the possibility of developing hypertension by the third or fourth year. Even amongst those who snored or who experienced mild sleep apnea there was a weak but nonetheless higher than usual association with hypertension.
Previously the connection between sleep apnea and high blood pressure was considered to be strongly linked to obesity. However recent studies suggest that hypertension is seen particularly in individuals who have sleep apnea regardless of what their weight is.
Blood pressure affects sleep apnea simply because it changes markedly during repeated sleep apnea episodes. These changes are also related to changes in the form of sudden surges which take place in the sympathetic nervous system. This system controls involuntary muscles and particularly those which occur the heart and blood vessels. It is now strongly believed that as time go by these changes may play a major role in the development of permanent long term high blood pressure.
An increasing amount of research is looking at why these health problems are related to problems that erupt the upper airways of people with sleep apnea. It is well known that being overweight, smoking and abusing alcohol contribute to sleep apnea and lead to a higher chance of developing heart disease and hypertension. It is not clear however why some people without these lifestyle problems still develop sleep apnea.
Whenever breathing stops during a sleep apnea episode the bloodstream shows higher carbon dioxide levels and decreased oxygen levels. As a result of this, several both chemical and physical events occur in the body which then raises the possibility of other problems being seen.
In individuals who suffer from sleep apnea and who are also overweight researchers have discovered high levels of immune factors known as interleukin and tumor necrosis factor-alpha. High levels of these factors can lead to serious inflammation which can cause cell damage, particularly in the arteries. In one study it was found that individuals with raised levels of tumor necrosis factor-alpha experienced shortness of breath, excessive tiredness and weak heart pumping. However it must be said that at this time no clear causal relationship has been scientifically established between sleep apnea and heart disease.
Various studies have been carried out to look at sleep apnea and high blood pressure and a connection has been established between the two. To give an example, a study undertaken in 2000 looked at patients for four years and reported that the greater the number of apnea episodes they experienced in the first year the greater the possibility of developing hypertension by the third or fourth year. Even amongst those who snored or who experienced mild sleep apnea there was a weak but nonetheless higher than usual association with hypertension.
Previously the connection between sleep apnea and high blood pressure was considered to be strongly linked to obesity. However recent studies suggest that hypertension is seen particularly in individuals who have sleep apnea regardless of what their weight is.
Blood pressure affects sleep apnea simply because it changes markedly during repeated sleep apnea episodes. These changes are also related to changes in the form of sudden surges which take place in the sympathetic nervous system. This system controls involuntary muscles and particularly those which occur the heart and blood vessels. It is now strongly believed that as time go by these changes may play a major role in the development of permanent long term high blood pressure.
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Help-Me-To-Sleep.com provides comprehensive information on a number of different sleep disorders including insomnia, restless leg syndrome, narcolepsy, shift work sleep disorder, jet lag and sleep apnea.
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