Is Sleep Apnea Dangerous?

Sleep apnea is more than just loud snoring or a minor inconvenience — it's a serious medical condition that can have significant effects on your health.

In this blog, Dr. Conrad McCutcheon and the Memorial Village Sinus and Hearing team explain the dangers of untreated sleep apnea and how somnoplasty can help you avoid them.

What is sleep apnea?

Sleep apnea is a disorder in which your breathing pauses temporarily while you sleep. The most common type, obstructive sleep apnea (OSA), occurs when the muscles and tissues in your throat relax too much and block your airway. About 39 million American adults have this type of sleep apnea.

Central sleep apnea (CSA) is a less common type of sleep apnea and happens when your brain doesn’t send the proper signals to the muscles that control breathing. Some people may experience a combination of both types. 

The dangers of sleep apnea

At first glance, sleep apnea may seem like little more than snoring or perhaps even just an issue isolated to your nose. The truth is that the dangers of sleep apnea extend far beyond your nose and throat. 

Increases your risk of cardiovascular problems

The repeated drops in oxygen levels that occur during apnea episodes can strain your cardiovascular system. Sleep apnea significantly raises your risk of high blood pressure, heart attack, stroke, and irregular heartbeats. People with untreated sleep apnea are twice as likely to have a heart attack. 

Leads to daytime fatigue

People with sleep apnea often experience excessive daytime sleepiness due to disrupted sleep cycles. This can lead to difficulties with concentration, memory, and overall cognitive function, affecting your performance at work, your social life, and even your relationships. 

The constant fatigue can also increase the risk of accidents, particularly when driving or operating machinery. 

Can lead to metabolic issues

Sleep apnea is linked to insulin resistance, type 2 diabetes, and obesity. The lack of restorative sleep can affect your body’s ability to regulate glucose and hormones related to appetite, which makes weight loss difficult. 

This opens the door to all of the health complications of diabetes, including kidney issues, vision problems, neuropathy, and ulcers.

Affects your mental wellness

The impact of sleep apnea extends to your mental health and can contribute to mood disorders such as depression and anxiety. The stress of dealing with chronic fatigue and the physical strain of apnea episodes can exacerbate these conditions.

Decreases your quality of life

Untreated sleep apnea can lead to a significantly lower quality of life. The persistent fatigue, increased health risks, and potential impact on relationships due to disrupted sleep patterns can take a toll on your overall well-being.

When not to worry about snoring

Occasional snoring, such as when you’re congested with a common cold, isn’t the type of snoring that leads to these issues. That being said, if you experience snoring that lasts beyond the length of a common cold, give us a call. 

In either case, Dr. McCutheon can help you get relief from nasal congestion or sleep apnea.

What to do about sleep apnea

While untreated sleep apnea can no doubt impact your health, the good news is that there are many things you can do to treat it. Common treatments include using continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) device or oral appliance to keep your airway open, lifestyle changes such as weight loss, and, in some cases, surgery. 

At Memorial Village Sinus and Hearing, Dr. McCutcheon gives you another option: somnoplasty. 

Somnoplasty is a minimally invasive procedure used to treat mild sleep apnea and chronic snoring by tightening the excess tissue that obstructs airflow. The procedure uses low-temperature radiofrequency energy to precisely target and shrink the tissues that are blocking your airways while you sleep. 

Dr. McCutcheon performs the procedure under local anesthetic, and it’s done in about 10 minutes. There’s no downtime or recovery period afterward; you’re free to head home. Somnoplasty is an effective option for people who haven’t found relief with other treatments or who can’t tolerate using CPAP or oral appliances.

Don’t brush off the signs of sleep apnea

If you suspect that you have sleep apnea, it’s important to seek medical attention. Your doctor may recommend a sleep study to diagnose the condition accurately so you can get the care you need to reduce your risk of the dangers of sleep apnea.

If you have sleep apnea, contact Memorial Village Sinus and Hearing to schedule your somnoplasty consultation. You can request an appointment online or call our Houston, Texas, office at 281-822-3777.