Sleep Apnea Linked To Increased Risk Of Hypertension And Heart Failure: Cpap Machine Treatment

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Obstructive sleep apnea, or OSA, has been shown to lead to dangerous increases in blood pressure, and is a proven contributor to heart disease, the top cause of death in the nation. The implications of various studies are that patients with sleep apnea tend to be two times as likely to also be afflicted with high blood pressure as people not reported to have this sleep disorder.

Sleep apnea is a very serious condition that bears an equally real potential for fatality. Primary symptoms include brief interruptions in breathing while sleeping. This causes a disruption in the patient’s sleep cycle that often goes unnoticed by the sufferer. A regimen that includes CPAP therapy and a specialized CPAP mask is the most common and effective treatment, since these devices alleviate, if not eliminate, disruptions in breath. The breathing pauses attributed to sleep apnea are often accompanied by snoring. It should be noted, however, that snoring is not cause for an automatic diagnosis of sleep apnea. The condition is also occasionally characterized by a choking sensation that rouses the sufferer. The sudden decrease ...
... in oxygen availability to the heart, brain, and other internal organs significantly escalates the person’s risk of coronary heart disease, heart failure, hypertension, and stroke. These interruptions in the deep, restorative sleep necessary for daily recovery often lead to marked fatigue during waking hours and impediments like irritability and drowsy driving (a condition for which laws have been implemented in many states).

There are a couple of variants on the overall condition labeled “sleep apnea.” One is Obstructive Sleep Apnea, or OSA, and the other is Central Sleep Apnea, or CSA. Use of CPAP masks and CPAP machines is indicated for treatment of both types. The more common of the two is Obstructive Sleep Apnea. OSA is characterized by the soft tissues of the throat becoming so relaxed that it obstructs (and sometimes completely close off) a person’s airway. The muscles regain their tone after a few seconds, once the sufferer’s brain has been alerted to the lack of oxygen, and briefly awakened the sleeper. Normal breathing resumes, as it is an involuntary reflex. For patients not using a CPAP mask, this sequence repeats itself continuously, all night long. Most people who suffer from sleep apnea aren’t even aware of these brief awakenings.

With central sleep apnea, the brain is the faulty organ. It fails to send the regular signals to those muscles that normally control your breathing and regulate your inhaling and exhaling. Regardless of the specific type of sleep apnea you have, both decrease the level of oxygen in your bloodstream. It’s unclear what the catalyst for waking and reregulating your breathing is, but it could be the change in CO2 levels, the discomfort of having your airway suddenly blocked, or a combination of both. In any case, a CPAP machine and CPAP mask with a compliant CPAP therapy regimen remains the most effective method of treatment.

K. Leeds is a freelance writer for The CPAP Shop, one of the leading providers of CPAP machine and CPAP masks. Please visit The CPAP Shop website to learn more about their products and brands.