Does your partner poke fun at you about your snoring? If\nyou\u2019re a woman, it can be a little embarrassing to admit that you snore, but\nthe truth is that it could affect so much more than just your pride. For\nWomen\u2019s Health Month this May, you\u2019re likely refreshing your memory about doing\nself-exams for breast cancer and visiting your doctor for your well-woman\ncheckup. But are you thinking enough about the quality of your sleep? Did you\nknow that it can affect your heart? In this post, you\u2019ll learn about how\nobstructive sleep apnea in Denver can impact your health\u2014particularly your\nheart function.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n
Sleep apnea is a chronic condition in which breathing ceases\nfor more than 10 seconds during sleep. As a result, the brain wakes the body up\njust enough to resume breathing. These lapses can happen up to hundreds of\ntimes per night, disrupting your ability to get restful sleep. The most common\ntype is obstructive sleep apnea, where something\u2014often the facial\ntissues\u2014blocks the airways, restricting breathing and causing snoring sounds.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Sleep apnea can lead to a myriad of problems. The sleep\ndeprivation alone drains your energy, impairs your ability to focus or\nremember, elongates your reaction time, and interferes with your brain\nfunction. In fact, studies have found that driving while drowsy can be just as\ndangerous as driving while drunk. In addition, research has shown that sleep\napnea has a negative impact on women in particular. For example, pregnant women\nwho have sleep apnea are more likely to experience complications such as\npreeclampsia and pre-term birth.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Upon not getting enough oxygen, your brain releases signals\nfor stress hormones that increase your blood pressure. Without treatment, these\nspikes can become more frequent and eventually become the norm, even when\nawake. High blood pressure is a major risk factor for heart disease and\ncardiovascular events such as a heart attack or stroke.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Also, a recent study found that women who snore or have\nobstructive sleep apnea were at a higher risk for cardiac impairment compared\nto men. Sadly, the study also revealed that sleep apnea may be extremely\nunderdiagnosed, meaning that many women with sleep apnea are not getting the\ntreatment they need to have quality sleep and potentially better health.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
If you experience the following symptoms, you may have\nobstructive sleep apnea:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
It\u2019s important to note that not everyone who snores has\nsleep apnea and not all sleep apnea patients snore. That\u2019s why you need to\nundergo a sleep study to know for certain whether you have sleep apnea or not.\nThat way, you can be officially diagnosed and receive the necessary treatment to\nfinally get the rest that you deserve.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
This May, in addition to all the other healthy practices\nthat you\u2019re going to integrate into your lifestyle, take some time to evaluate\nyour sleep health. If you think that you might have sleep apnea, you don\u2019t have\nto suffer and bear it. Seek help! Your body, more specifically your heart, will\nthank you in the long run.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
As sleep apnea patients themselves, Dr. Gary Radz and Dr.\nGlenn Thompson<\/a> each found relief from their symptoms through oral\nappliances. At Downtown Denver Sleep Solutions, they offer sleep apnea\ntreatment and have successfully helped hundreds of patients. Dr. Radz and Dr.\nThompson both belong to the American Academy of Dental Sleep Medicine and have\ntaken hundreds of hours in sleep apnea education. To schedule an appointment\nwith them, call (303) 377-5337 or click here<\/a>.<\/p>\n\r\n