Professional Faqs: What Can Happen If Sleep Apnea Goes Untreated?
Sleep Apnea image
Expert opinion from Harinath Gundamaraju
MBBS, MD, ANAESTHESIA · 20 years of experience · India
People who have sleep apnea have periods of sleep that are interrupted by pauses in breathing. There is a definite link between sleep apnea and extra body fat, and if they lose weight, their sleep apnea improves. In addition, people with moderate to severe obesity develop a very rare form of sleep apnea called the obesity hypoventilation syndrome, in which breathing is poor while awake as a result of which a state of low oxygen and high carbon dioxide exists. Sleep apnea if untreated is dangerous because it leads to high blood pressure, heart attacks, abnormal heart rhythms all leading to heart failure and decreased life expectancy. In addition sleep apnea if untreated, can lead to decreased focus and concentration and reduced organizational skills, higher incidences of motor vehicle accidents.
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Expert opinion from Ilya Aleksandrovskiy
M.D., MBA · 5 years of experience · USA
Sleep apnea, if untreated, can raise the risk of health concerns such as 1. High blood pressure. 2. Stroke. 3. Heart failure, irregular heartbeats, and heart attacks are all symptoms of heart disease. 4. Diabetes. 5. Depression 6. ADHD Is Getting Worse 7. Headaches Furthermore, untreated sleep apnea may be the cause of poor performance in everyday activities such as work and school, car accidents, and academic underachievement in children and adolescents.
Expert opinion from Matheus R Cerqueira
Specialist in Family and Community Medicine · 7 years of experience · Brazil
Sleep apnea is a disorder characterized by periods of interruption in breathing during sleep. According to the number of apnea episodes per hour of sleep, it can be classified as a) mild, asymptomatic and without complications; b) moderate, with slowing down of the rhythm of daily activities and increased risk of accidents; c) severe, with daytime sleepiness, increased cardiovascular risk and risk of mortality.
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