What Are the Effects of Untreated Sleep Apnea?
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Sleep apnea is a sleep disorder that causes pauses in breathing due to a collapsed or blocked airway. When this occurs, a person must wake up to resume breathing. These interruptions in sleep can cause various health problems, including diabetes, high blood pressure, and heart disease. Dr. Avi Ishaaya can help his patients in Beverly Hills, CA to understand the dangers of untreated sleep apnea. At Dr. Avi Ishaaya Centers, we offer sleep studies to our patients who are suffering from sleep problems at our state-of-the-art sleep lab. We also offer sleep apnea tests at home. After reviewing a patient’s test results, he can determine which sleep apnea treatment will benefit each patient.
What is sleep apnea?
Sleep apnea occurs when breathing pauses happen during sleep due to the muscles at the back of the throat being blocked or collapsing. When you have sleep apnea, your body doesn’t get the proper oxygen it needs, which leads to serious health issues when it’s left untreated. Dr. Ishaaya is board-certified to treat sleep disorders, such as sleep apnea. At Dr. Avi Ishaaya Centers in Beverly Hills, CA, he can evaluate sleeping and breathing problems during a sleep apnea consultation.
How we diagnose sleep apnea
During your sleep apnea consultation, we can evaluate how you take in a breath when you sleep. When you have an obstruction, your sleep is interrupted. At Dr. Avi Ishaaya Centers in Beverly Hills, CA, we treat patients with mild and severe sleep apnea symptoms. Ultimately, recognizing sleep apnea signs are important to your current and future health.
During a sleep apnea consultation, Dr. Ishaaya will assess your:
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Age and family history: Older patients are more likely to be diagnosed with sleep apnea or sleep disorders. Also, sleep apnea has been known to run in a family.
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Sleep patterns: He will ask you questions about when and how you wake up and how often you feel that you get good sleep.
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Weight: Obese or overweight patients are at a higher risk of developing sleep apnea.
Side effects of untreated sleep apnea
There are many potentially dangerous sleep apnea side effects that can develop over time. When left untreated, sleep apnea affects the entire body, including the:
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Cardiovascular system: Sleep apnea causes an increased risk of developing high blood pressure, heart disease, and obesity. All of these things can increase the strain on the heart. If you have sleep apnea, you’re more likely to have an abnormal heart rhythm, which can cause a stroke.
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Digestive system: Sleep apnea patients are more likely to develop fatty liver disease or have high levels of liver enzymes. Sleep apnea also worsens GERD symptoms, which can cause sleep problems too.
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Endocrine system: People with sleep apnea have an increased risk of developing insulin resistance, which can lead to Type II diabetes.
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Respiratory system: When you don’t get the oxygen you need when you’re sleeping, both asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease symptoms can become more severe.
Sleep apnea can also cause daytime fatigue, difficulty concentrating, moodiness, and complications after surgery due to a breathing problem when lying on the back and when sedated. All of these are potentially serious effects on your body, which makes it important to have a sleep apnea consultation at Dr. Avi Ishaaya Centers in Beverly Hills, CA when you think you may have sleep apnea or if you have sleep apnea risk factors.
Sleep apnea treatment
Patients with sleep apnea risk factors can be screened and tested for sleep apnea at our Beverly Hills, CA office. Dr. Ishaaya can perform sleep testing to diagnose sleeping disorders, such as sleep apnea. After a diagnosis, he can discuss treatment options with you, including automatic positive airway pressure (PAP) therapy, which helps keep your airways open while you’re sleeping.
Determine if sleep apnea treatment is right for you
When you’re ready to sleep better and want to reduce your risk of harmful effects of untreated sleep apnea, call Dr. Avi Ishaaya Centers in Beverly Hills, CA to schedule a sleep apnea consultation. Dr. Avi Ishaaya can assess your health and decide if you have sleep apnea or other sleep disorders. Treating sleep disorders can help improve your health.