Sleep Apnea Side Effects

The more severe your obstructive sleep apnea (OSA), the higher the risk of having:

Patients who had OSA with AHI greater than 11 events per hour had 42% higher risk of having the upper mentioned sleep apnea side effects, than those with AHI less than 1.3 events per hour.

Metabolic Side Effects from Sleep Apnea

OSA is associated with the development of type 2 diabetes, obesity and glucose intolerance.

If your sleep duration is too short or too long, or if you wake up many times during the night (sleep fragmentation), then you have a high risk to develop these problems.

Patients can develop obesity from OSA; Moreover, the reciprocal is also true: gaining weight can cause sleep apnea.

Mental Side Effects of Sleep Apnea

Reduced mental function, including vigilance, mood and executive function (working memory, planning, problem solving, organization) are common consequences of OSA. Here are some examples of mental functioning problems from sleep apnea:

Vehicle Accidents from Sleep Apnea

People with moderate to severe OSA have a high risk of having car accidents. The risk of having critical injuries or dying is also high enough, not only for the sleep apnea patient, but also for the other drivers involved in traffic.

Driving a car is a complex task that requires strong mental functions such as dexterity, vigilance, sharpness of vision. These functions are badly affected by sleep apnea.

Quality of Life and Sleep Apnea Side Effects

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Summary of Sleep Apnea Side Effects:

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