Joel is a hardworking man who often wakes up tired despite sleeping all night. His wife notices he snores loudly and sometimes gasps for air while sleeping. Little did she know, Joel was living with sleep apnea, a condition disrupting his breathing during sleep and putting his heart at risk.
What is Sleep Apnea?
Sleep apnea is when breathing stops and starts repeatedly during sleep, making it hard for your body to get enough oxygen. According to the American Heart Association, these episodes of disrupted breathing generally last at least 10 seconds and occur frequently throughout the night.There are two types:
- Obstructive Sleep Apnea: Throat muscles relax and block the airway.
- Central Sleep Apnea: The brain fails to send proper signals to breathe.
Joel’s condition was obstructive sleep apnea, common among men over 40, especially if overweight.
Why Should You Care?
In African countries like Cameroon, where lifestyle and health awareness are growing, understanding sleep apnea is vital. Disrupted breathing raises stress hormones like adrenaline, leading to high blood pressure and damaging blood vessels. This can cause clogged arteries, poor heart function, strokes, and heart attacks. Untreated sleep apnea doubles the risk of heart attacks.
What are the symptoms of sleep apnea?
The symptoms of sleep apnea include:
- Irregular breathing during sleep.
- Loud snoring or gasping.
- Excessive daytime sleepiness.
- Morning headaches. Learn more about the symtoms of sleep apnea here.
Hope and Healing
Talk to your doctor if you think you have sleep apnea. Thankfully, Sleep apnea is often diagnosed through a sleep study. It can be treated through the use of a continuous positive air pressure (CPAP) machine, which helps regulate your breathing, as well as lifestyle changes. There are also surgical treatment options to open the airway. Lifestyle changes like weight control and quitting smoking also protect the heart.
Next Steps
Eyole Heart Nurture is here to help you protect your heart by understanding conditions like sleep apnea. Take our free heart test today.
A joyful heart is good medicine, but a crushed spirit dries up the bones.” — Proverbs 17:22.
Frequently Asked Questions:
1. What is the average age of death for sleep apnea?
Sleep apnea can affect any age but is most common in men over 40. Untreated, it increases risk for fatal heart events earlier than average life expectancy.
2. How does sleep apnea affect your heart?
It lowers oxygen during sleep, triggering adrenaline spikes that raise blood pressure and damage arteries, increasing heart attack and stroke risk.
3. What will happen if sleep apnea is not treated?
Untreated sleep apnea can lead to high blood pressure, heart failure, stroke, and doubling the risk of heart attacks.
4. What are the dangers of sleep apnea?
Besides heart risks, it causes daytime tiredness, poor concentration, and mood changes like anxiety or depression.
5. Can heart damage from sleep apnea be reversed?
With proper treatment, like CPAP and lifestyle changes, some heart function can improve, but early care is crucial.
6. Why does sleep apnea increase the risk of stroke?
Oxygen deprivation and blood pressure spikes can damage blood vessels in the brain, leading to strokes.
7. Does sleep apnea shorten your life if treated?
Treatment with CPAP can greatly reduce risks, potentially normalizing lifespan.
8. Does sleep apnea affect blood pressure?
Yes, it causes surges in blood pressure during sleep that can lead to chronic hypertension.
