Can Sleep Apnea Cause Lung Problems
Research published in BMC Pulmonary Medicine found that patients with OSA had increased lung elasticity recoil pressure. The elastic quality of lung tissues is what allows them to expand and contract when you breathe. With increased lung elasticity recoil pressure the lungs snap back too forcefully. This creates a vacuum effect that contributes to airway collapse in OSA. The resulting reduction in lung volume increases the risk or worsens the symptoms of some very serious lung problems.
Lung problems that are common in patients with sleep apnea include:
- Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease
- Pulmonary Hypertension
- Asthma
The Connection Between Stress And Sleep Apnea
People with sleeping disorders usually develop a certain degree of stress that disrupts their cognitive awareness during their waking hours. This in turn causes abnormalities in their sleeping patterns. Therefore, the relationship or connection between stress and sleep apnea are indirect and differs from one person to another. The good news is, there are many ways to manage stress, together with your doctors advice, you can lessen the risk of stress-related health problems.
Is There A Connection Between Sinusitis And Sleep Apnea
Medical research has shown that just because you are diagnosed with sleep apnea does not mean you will automatically develop sinusitis and vice versa. There is a slight increase that an individual with sleep apnea will also develop sinusitis, but the research is fuzzy on a clear link between the two.
A 2016 study is one of the most often cited scholarly articles on the topic, but it doesnt offer conclusive answers. Researchers followed 971 people with OSA, as well as 4,855 people not diagnosed with OSA, for five years. The researchers reported fewer than seven percent of people with OSA were later diagnosed with sinusitis. Among those without OSA, only two percent developed sinusitis, therefore there is no conclusive evidence linking the two.
A year later, doctors from Northwestern University and Rush University Medical Center studied general sleep disruptions in individuals with chronic rhinosinusitis. They noticed in preparation for their research that the medical community had not yet found any consistent links between the two.
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Can Your Cpap Machine Make You Sick
Its unlikely that youll get sick from your CPAP alone, but if you think youre getting sick from using your CPAP, its possible it needs a thorough cleaning. Using a CPAP machine in itself shouldnt make you sick, but using a dirty CPAP machine definitely can. Some risks associated with using a dirty CPAP or one that hasnt been used or cleaned in a while includes:
- Skin Rashes or Infections. Your CPAP mask rests on your face and is in contact with the germs and bacteria on the skin. Over time, bacteria and oils on a dirty mask may give you a rash or infection on your face.
- Respiratory Problems. If you dont replace the humidifier water frequently or dont wash it often enough, its possible for mold to develop and for you to breathe in that mold, which comes with a series of problematic respiratory problems.
Like any medical device, your CPAP machine requires routine maintenance.
Cleaning the inside of the hose, your mask, and changing your air filter are all part of cleaning your CPAP machine. Performing this routine maintenance is easy and can save you from unnecessary visits to the doctor. If you are not sure how to clean your CPAP, you can consult your specific CPAP machines owners manual.
Most routine maintenance of CPAP machines is pretty easy and involves only but a little scrubbing, hot water, and vinegar, but there are also machines designed to clean your CPAP accessories.
Symptoms Of Sleep Apnoea
People with significant sleep apnoea have an increased risk of motor vehicle accidents and high blood pressure, and may have an increased risk of heart attack and stroke. In the over-30 age group, the disorder is about three times more common in men than women. Some of the associated symptoms include:
- daytime sleepiness, fatigue and tiredness
- poor concentration
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Gerd Secondary To Sleep Apnea
Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease, or GERD, is a digestive disorder that occurs when stomach acid flows back up from the stomach into the esophagus. This causes discomfort and inflammation. Symptoms of GERD include:
- Nausea
- Chest pain
- Stomachaches or other abdominal pain
Veterans who suffer from sleep apnea may find that the condition aggravates or causes GERD. This is because, while asleep, the body may not clear the veterans esophagus as it would when the veteran is awake, thereby exacerbating the veterans GERD.
Additionally, GERD may contribute to sleep apnea, as acid in the esophagus can cause spasms in the vocal cords which may prompt sleep apnea. Therefore, veterans who are service connected for sleep apnea can become secondary service-connected for their GERD, and vice versa.
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Sinusitis Secondary To Sleep Apnea
Sinusitis is a condition where a persons sinuses become swollen and inflamed for three months or longer, despite treatment. Symptoms of sinusitis often include:
- Nasal inflammation
- Hissing
- Humming
Tinnitus is one of the most frequently claimed conditions for service connection. This is likely due to a variety of factors related to service, such as exposure to noise, possibility of traumatic brain injury, and exposure to explosive devices like IEDs.
Research has found that veterans who have chronic tinnitus also prevalently experience sleep apnea. As such, veterans who are service connected for tinnitus may be eligible for secondary service connection for sleep apnea, and vice-versa.
Other Conditions Linked Sleep Apnea
There are many conditions that have been linked to sleep apnea that veterans can receive benefits for through secondary service connection. Some of the following conditions can be secondary to sleep apnea, while others may be the primary condition to which sleep apnea is secondary.
- Allergic Rhinitis
How To Boost Your Energy If You Have Sleep Apnea
Finding the right treatment, revamping your sleep routine, and adopting these healthy habits can help you fight fatigue.
Theres no substitute for a good nights sleep, but if you have obstructive sleep apnea , getting a good nights sleep is easier said than done.
More than 18 million adults in the United States are estimated to have sleep apnea, according to National Sleep Foundation . Although the condition is common, it often goes unrecognized and undiagnosed, says Jose Mendez, MD, director of the Sleep Disorders Center at Danbury Hospital, a part of Nuvance Health, in Southbury, Connecticut.
Sleep apnea is a condition in which the airway collapses intermittently at night, which causes people to stop breathing during their sleep. As a result, says Dr. Mendez, people will enter into a lighter stage of sleep or completely wake up. These awakenings can occur anywhere from five to more than 30 times per hour, according to the American Sleep Apnea Foundation.
Because people with sleep apnea tend to sleep poorly, they often have extreme daytime sleepiness. Not only are they sleepy, but they can also have trouble concentrating and experience mood problems such as depression.
Sleep disruption also affects our hormones, namely by increasing ghrelin and reducing leptin, which can increase your appetite, says Mendez. It also negatively affects the immune system, making you more susceptible to illnesses, such as colds and other viruses.
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Tips To Improve Tinnitus And Improve Sleep
Avoid a too-quiet room: Ringing in the ears is much more noticeable when a room is quiet. Using an app or device to create sleep-friendly sounds may help drown out the ringing.
Meditation and mindfulness: Meditation and mindfulness are important to help reduce stress. Studies have shown meditation to be a beneficial tool in better managing tinnitus, as it makes you focus on your breathing rather than the noise in your ears.
Other relaxation techniques: Tinnitus can provoke anxiety, so its important that you utilize techniques to help promote relaxation. Some other techniques include deep breathing exercises, progressive relaxation, guided imagery, aromatherapy, and cognitive behavioral therapy.
Limit use of earplugs: Earplugs, although they can protect your ears, can reduce the ability to hear external sounds and make tinnitus appear worse. Furthermore, frequent earplug use can lead to wax buildup and impaction, which can further worsen tinnitus.
Dont ignore ear pain: Ear pain in combination with tinnitus could be a sign of another cause for tinnitus that, if left untreated, could worsen your symptoms. Always speak to your doctor about these types of symptoms.
Seek treatment for hearing problems: If you begin experiencing difficulties hearing, then speak to your doctor, as there could be an underlying medical condition that is triggering this. Underlying medical issues could also be contributing to your poor sleep.
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Sleep Apnea Changes How The Brain Works
A February 2016 study published in the Journal of Sleep Research by the UCLA School of Nursing investigated the injury caused to the insular cortex of the brain by sleep apnea. They studied levels of two important brain chemicals, called neurotransmistters: glutamate and gamma-aminobutyric acid, known as GABA. Unlike previous studies, we actually found substantial differences in these two chemicals that influence how the brain is working, said Paul Macey, the lead researcher on the study and an associate professor at the UCLA School of Nursing.
It is rare to have this size of difference in biological measures, Macey said. We expected an increase in the glutamate, because it is a chemical that causes damage in high doses and we have already seen brain damage from sleep apnea. What we were surprised to see was the drop in GABA. That made us realize that there must be a reorganization of how the brain is working.
Macey says the studys results are, in a way, encouraging. In contrast with damage, if something is working differently, we can potentially fix it.
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Stick To A Regular Sleep Schedule
Going to bed and waking up at roughly the same times every day helps you to get the right kind of sleep. You need to experience the full cycle of deep- and lighter-stage sleep to feel well rested. A regular sleeping schedule also prevents you from getting overtired, which can make sleep apnea symptoms worse.
Carb And Sugar Cravings
Unhealthy food choices are another cause for concern. The Harvard School of Public Health corroborates, deprived of sleep had higher levels of the appetite-stimulating hormone ghrelin and lower levels of the satiety-inducing hormone leptin, with a corresponding increase in hunger and appetiteespecially for foods rich in fat and carbohydrates.
Too much fatty foods, sugar, and carbs is a one-way ticket to weight gain. Plus, a severe case of excess weight may result in high blood pressure, breathing disorders, and hypertension all of which will worsen your sleep apnea, but can the weight gain cause sleep apnea too?
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The Link Between Rheumatoid Arthritis And Obstructive Sleep Apnea
With OSA, a persons airway becomes partially or completely obstructed during sleep, which interrupts their breathing for 10 to 30 seconds at a time and deprives them of oxygen until they wake up and start breathing again. These short stops in breathing can happen up to 400 times every night. Even if the periods of not breathing dont fully wake you up, the micro-interruptions in breathing can disturb your sleep.
If someone poked you with a stick every 10 minutes while you were asleep, youd feel pretty tired even if you slept eight hours, says Nitun Verma, MD, a sleep doctor in San Francisco and a spokesperson for the American Academy of Sleep Medicine.
Researchers arent sure why people with RA have a higher risk of OSA. Here are some possible explanations.
Va Service Connection For Sleep Apnea
Generally, to establish service connection, the veteran needs to submit three things to VA:
- A current diagnosis of sleep apnea, as confirmed by a sleep study
- An in-service event, injury, or illness and
- A medical nexus between their sleep apnea and the in-service event, injury, or illness.
Veterans can submit a claim for service connection on VA From 21-526EZ.
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Symptoms Of Chronic Fatigue
According to the Institute of Medicine of National Academies in the US, ME/CFS affects 836,000 to 2.5 million Americans since 2015. For this reason, early prevention and treatment for chronic fatigue can avoid this disease. If youre experiencing some of these chronic fatigue symptoms, it may be best to visit your local hospital right away.
- Unending body, joint, and muscle pain for more than six months
- Extreme exhaustion even after short periods of exercise
- Restless leg syndrome
What Is Sleep Apnea
Sleep apnea is a serious sleep disorder that happens when a persons breathing is interrupted during sleep. People with untreated sleep apnea stop breathing repeatedly during their sleep, sometimes hundreds of times during the night.
If its not treated, sleep apnea can cause a number of health problems, including hypertension , stroke, cardiomyopathy , heart failure, diabetes and heart attacks. Untreated sleep apnea can also be responsible for job impairment, work-related accidents and motor vehicle crashes, as well as underachievement in school in children and adolescents.
There are two types of sleep apnea, obstructive and central:
- Obstructive sleep apnea is the more common of the two. Obstructive sleep apnea occurs as repetitive episodes of complete or partial upper airway blockage during sleep. During an apneic episode, the diaphragm and chest muscles work harder as the pressure increases to open the airway. Breathing usually resumes with a loud gasp or body jerk. These episodes can interfere with sound sleep, reduce the flow of oxygen to vital organs, and cause heart rhythm irregularities.
- In central sleep apnea, the airway is not blocked but the brain fails to signal the muscles to breathe due to instability in the respiratory control center. Central apnea is related to the function of the central nervous system.
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Diabetes Obesity And Being Overweight
Extra pounds and too much exertion of physical activity also causes chronic fatigue syndrome . Obesity makes it difficult to stretch the legs, arms and even reach the floor. Moreover, diabetes, which is a metabolic disease that causes high blood sugar. When the body doesnt produce much insulin or has an insulin immunity to breaking down food into energy. When there is not enough energy in the body, the person may consistently feel tired or drained.
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