Obstructive sleep apnea causes enough problems like loud snoring, sleepless nights and daytime exhaustion. Plus, sleep apnea can worsen a host of other health concerns, too. A leading example is hypertension (high blood pressure).
Research shows that patients who have obstructive sleep apnea are at increased risk of developing hypertension. Thus, scientists believe that there is a direct connection between sleep apnea and high blood pressure.
Sleep Apnea & Hypertension
Sleep apnea is a chronic health condition that causes breathing to become strained or even stop. The most common form is obstructive sleep apnea (OSA). During an episode of OSA, the soft tissue in your throat and tongue blocks your airway. This obstruction may last anywhere from a few seconds up to a minute. There are dangerously low blood levels of oxygen. The brain sends out a system wide distress signal to awaken the body and restart breathing.
While breathing is stopped the oxygen level in your bloodstream begins to drop. Initially, the brain tried to counter the drop in oxygen concentration by constricting blood vessels to increase blood pressure and the delivery of oxygen. The heart must pump harder to make this happen and high blood pressure can develop.
Even the early stages of sleep apnea are associated with high blood pressure and cardiovascular problems. Despite our knowledge of blood pressure treatment, no specific high blood pressure therapy is superior. The best way of controlling hypertension is to treat sleep apnea and associated obesity.
Treat Sleep Apnea, Relieve Hypertension
At our Pasadena Texas Sleep Apnea office, Dr. Nugent treats sleep apnea with oral appliance. The oral appliance will be custom made for your mouth to safeguard that it is comfortable and wearable. The appliance repositions your lower jaw and your tongue downward and forward in order to open the airway. By keeping the airway open, the oral appliance lessens or eliminates the sleep apnea episodes.
Schedule a Consultation with Dr. Nugent
If you know you have hypertension, or if you’re feeling tired during the day and your sleep partner reports that you snore loudly each night, then call 832-487-0647 to schedule a consultation. The solution to sleep apnea and your high blood pressure may be as simple as wearing an oral appliance at night.
