Negative Effects of Sleep Apnea on Your Overall Health

Millions of people suffer from a common disorder called sleep apnea where a person experiences short, constant pauses in their breathing while they’re asleep. Some of the most common symptoms include very loud snoring, constant choking or snorting sounds and restless sleep because a person would constantly wake up from pauses in breathing. In some cases, a person’s sleep apnea may be so severe that they’ll wake up gasping for air, which can be pretty alarming. These symptoms can have a negative effect on your overall health, so it’s best to have a checkup at your Carmel, IN dental clinic if you suspect that you or a loved one has sleep apnea.

Pauses in breathing during sleep apnea are caused by deeply relaxed throat muscles in a person’s airway, which tend to block the flow of oxygen during sleep. Since the lungs aren’t getting the right amount of oxygen into the body, it’ll immediately send an emergency signal to the brain to wake up. As a result, a person would then wake up gasping or making choking noises in order to get more oxygen into his or her body. These interruptions can go on throughout the evening, with some people waking up numerous times in an hour.

Because of waking up repeatedly, a person suffering from sleep apnea will have very poor sleep. Fatigue, constant sleepiness in the morning, irritability, and mood swings are just some of the symptoms that a person will experience from not having a full eight hours of sleep. When left untreated, the effects of sleep apnea on a person’s body may lead to more serious complications like heart disease, diabetes, and other chronic conditions.

Most people who suffer from sleep apnea may not even notice that they have the symptoms mentioned above. It’s often a family member or a spouse who’ll hear them choke or gasp for air as they sleep. If you notice any of these symptoms, then it’s best to schedule a visit with Dr. David A. Smith of Really Smile Dental clinic right away. Just call their Carmel, IN dental clinic at 317-597-8748 to book an appointment.