How Does Sleep Apnea Affect Quality Of Life? A Review By Doctors

Sleep Apnea image

Expert opinion from J Vinay Reddy

MBBS · 4.5 years of experience · India

Sleep apnea is a sleep disorder in which normal breathing is disturbed and has a start/stop pattern sometimes. It is of three types, I. E. Central sleep apnea, obstructive sleep apnea and mixed type. Most common type is the obstructive sleep apnea(OSA), which is characterized by relaxation of the throat muscles, restricting the airway. Symptoms of OSA, which have an impact on quality of life, are loud snoring, cough during sleep, unrefreshing sleep, daytime drowsiness, fatigue and clinical depression, possibly. People suffering from sleep apnea are at higher risk of stoke and dementia too.

Expert opinion from Ilya Aleksandrovskiy

M.D., MBA · 5 years of experience · USA

Sleep apnea can have a negative influence on one’s quality of life. Sleep apnea has been found in studies to reduce life expectancy by several years. Furthermore, people with severe sleep apnea have decreased attention, concentration, and organizing abilities. Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) causes arousals from sleep, oxygen deficiency, daytime drowsiness, and tiredness. Depression, mood swings, personality changes, and irritability can all be symptoms of sleep apnea.

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Expert opinion from Marcella Abunahman Pereira

Specialization in Clinical Cardiology · 12 years of experience · Brazil

Sleep apnea is a sleep disorder in which breathing repeatedly stops and starts, when the person sleeps he or she snores loudly and the patient feels tired and sleepy during daytime. Besides that, loud snoring can keep anyone who sleeps near a person with sleep apnea from getting good rest. All these questions can have an adverse impact on quality of life.

Disclaimer: This is for information purpose only, and should not be considered as a substitute for medical expertise. These are opinions from an external panel of individual doctors, and not to be considered as opinion of Microsoft. Please seek professional help regarding any health conditions or concerns.