Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) and diabetes are both serious chronic conditions that, if left untreated, can be life-threatening. Because sleep apnea causes a person to stop breathing for short periods while they’re sleeping, the ratio of oxygen to carbon dioxide in the blood shifts. This temporary oxygen deprivation can cause serious health consequences, which leads to the connection between sleep apnea and diabetes.
What Happens When A Sleeping Person’s Breathing Is Interrupted?
Patients living with diabetes know how important it is to keep their blood sugar levels in their target range as much as possible. Uncontrolled blood sugar levels can lead to additional serious long-term health problems like heart disease, vision loss, and kidney disease. When a patient is also suffering from sleep apnea, it can be even more challenging to manage. Even without diabetes, when a person’s breathing pauses while they sleep, there is an increase in carbon dioxide in the blood, which can lead to:
- Insulin resistance
- Chronically elevated blood pressure
- A higher incidence of heart problems or cardiovascular disease
- Early morning headaches
Combine these complications with the conditions faced by people with diabetes, and the consequences of being left untreated for either health condition multiply tenfold.
Unforeseen Side Effects
One of the things not everyone accounts for are the downstream issues their chronic health condition can lead to. Dealing with the symptoms of a chronic health condition alone is enough as it is without taking into account all of the other things that could go wrong, not to mention if you suffer from two such as sleep apnea and diabetes.
One of the effects of sleep apnea is that sufferers get inadequate sleep. This one consequence can, in turn lead to:
- A lack of motivation to exercise
- A lack of motivation or forgetting to plan meals
- Forgetting to take medications
- Regularly feeling more irritable (which can affect relationships with family, friends, and coworkers)
Schedule a Sleep Apnea Treatment Consultation Today
People who suffer from diabetes are at greater risk of developing several different chronic health conditions, one of which is sleep apnea. The connection between sleep apnea and diabetes can be tricky to navigate, making it crucial for sufferers and those suspicious that they might be experiencing either of these conditions to reach out to Dr. Pamela Marzban, DDS, and set up an appointment. For more information, please call Dr. Marzban’s office at703-323-8200.
