Untreated Sleep Apnea Life Expectancy
Key Takeaways
Untreated moderate to severe sleep apnea could increase the risk of serious health complications.
Severe, untreated sleep apnea has been linked to a higher risk of premature life expectancy.
The apnea-hypopnea index is used to determine the severity of an individual’s sleep apnea.
Sleep apnea treatment options vary based on the individual's needs and severity.
If you experience loud snoring, gasping during sleep, daytime fatigue, or other possible signs of sleep apnea, getting an evaluation is important toward protecting your long-term health.
Sleep apnea is more than just loud snoring or feeling fatigued during the day, but a serious sleep disorder that can affect your health, energy, and quality of life. If left untreated, symptoms of moderate to severe sleep apnea can place significant stress on the body and may increase the risk of serious health complications.
Research has linked severe, untreated sleep apnea with a higher risk of premature life expectancy. One long-term sleep study found that people with severe sleep-disordered breathing had about three times the risk of death from any cause compared with those without sleep apnea. Repeated breathing interruptions and drops in oxygen can place stress on the cardiovascular system and are associated with a higher risk of serious complications, including cardiovascular disease and stroke.
To schedule an in-person appointment, call our office at 703-323-8200, or you can schedule a virtual consultation with Dr. Marzban to discuss any sleep concerns that could be related to sleep apnea.
What Is Sleep Apnea?
Obstructive Sleep Apnea (OSA) is a sleep disorder where your breathing repeatedly stops or becomes restricted during sleep. As you sleep, the muscles and tissues around your upper airway relax, causing the airway to narrow or become blocked. When breathing stops for about 10 seconds or longer, your blood oxygen level can drop, and your brain may briefly wake you up so you can breathe again. You may also snore loudly, gasp, or choke as your airway reopens. These interruptions break up your sleep, even if you don't fully wake up. That's why you can get eight hours of sleep, but still feel exhausted the next day.
How Does Sleep Apnea Affect the Body?
Leaving sleep apnea untreated can affect more than your sleep. Possible health complications and risks include:
Repeated drops in oxygen and nighttime stress responses can contribute to elevated blood pressure.
OSA is associated with cardiovascular conditions, including heart attack and heart failure.
Moderate to severe OSA is linked to an increased risk of ischemic stroke, which occurs when a blood vessel supplying the brain becomes blocked, and reduces blood flow and oxygen to brain tissue.
Poor-quality sleep can cause extreme fatigue throughout the day.
Sleep apnea can interfere with concentration, memory, decision-making, and other aspects of cognitive function.
Excessive daytime sleepiness can make driving dangerous and increase the risk of accidents.
Loss of gray matter in the brain's cerebral cortex, which is the area that handles information processing, emotional control, and automatic functions like breathing and blood pressure.
How Is the Severity of Sleep Apnea Measured?
Sleep apnea is commonly classified by severity using the Apnea-Hypopnea Index (AHI), which measures the average number of apneas and hypopneas that occur per hour of sleep.
Mild OSA⎯Your breathing is disrupted about 6–14 times per hour.
Moderate OSA⎯Your breathing is disrupted about 15–29 times per hour.
Severe OSA⎯Your breathing is disrupted 30 or more times per hour.
How Does Treating Sleep Apnea Improve Your Health?
Treating sleep apnea can help control symptoms and address the repeated breathing interruptions that occur during sleep. Depending on the individual, treatment may include myofunctional therapy, a custom oral appliance, a sleep apnea appliance, and/or lifestyle changes. The right treatment depends on the type and severity of your sleep apnea, as well as factors such as your anatomy, symptoms, and overall health.
Sleep Apnea Treatment in Burke, Fairfax, Fairfax Station & Northern Virginia
There isn’t a way to predict exactly how sleep apnea will affect an individual's life expectancy, but treating the condition as soon as possible will help improve long-term health. At Marzban, DDS, we use advanced technology to check nasal airflow and identify possible blockages. Each patient’s treatment plan is customized to your individual needs and severity of sleep apnea. Contact our office to schedule a consultation with Dr. Marzan by calling 703-323-8200 or filling out our online form. Located in Burke, our office proudly serves patients throughout Fairfax, Fairfax Station, and Northern Virginia.
FAQs
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Untreated obstructive sleep apnea can contribute to cardiovascular problems, including high blood pressure and an increased risk of heart disease, abnormal heart rhythms, heart attack, and stroke.
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Untreated sleep apnea can cause persistent daytime fatigue, difficulty concentrating, high blood pressure, cardiovascular problems, and other health complications. The risk of these conditions becomes more concerning the longer sleep apnea is untreated and can shorten a person's life-span.
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For people who are overweight, weight loss could reduce the severity of obstructive sleep apnea. However, weight loss alone doesn’t eliminate sleep apnea, so evaluation by a dentist and customized treatment plan is important.
