What Does Obstructive Sleep Apnea Do To Your Body?

Sleep apnea may lead to more than simply the inability to get a good night’s sleep. Read on to learn what else Obstructive Sleep Apnea (OSA) can do to your body if not properly treated.

HIGH BLOOD PRESSURE

Along with preventing a restful slumber, Obstructive Sleep Apnea is also directly related to large drops in blood oxygen levels, which can cause high blood pressure. This can put you at strong risk for heart attack, stroke, and other serious health conditions.

DIGESTIVE ISSUES

There is a strong correlation between sleep apnea and nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD), which can dramatically worsen with untreated OSA. A large percentage of individuals with sleep apnea have also been found to suffer from GERD (gastroesophageal reflux disease).*

DIABETES

Sleep apnea can result in insulin resistance, which makes you more susceptible to high blood glucose levels. Eventually, this could result in type two diabetes.

BREATHING PROBLEMS

Sleep apnea is a condition that causes breathing to repeatedly stop and start during sleep, and therefore repeatedly deprives your body of oxygen. As a result, OSA can make asthma sufferers’ symptoms worse, and can also intensify chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).

DECREASED LIBIDO

While we sleep, our bodies produce hormones that affect sexual desire. When sleep is disrupted multiple times throughout the night, this process is negatively affected. It is therefore common for men with Obstructive Sleep Apnea to suffer from erectile dysfunction, and for women with the condition to also experience decreased sexual desire.

WHAT DOES THIS MEAN FOR YOU?