Doctor explains how sleep apnea costs lives
Interruptions in breathing during sleep can
have devastating effects on the body, possibly leading to death. During
a session of the Airway Focused Dentistry Mini-Residency, Dr. Bertrand
De Silva discussed the potentially deadly impacts of untreated apnea.
The course was co-developed by Dana Point Dentist Dr. Mark A Cruz.
The sympathetic and parasympathetic nervous systems
The sympathetic system responds to danger and prepares a
body for physical activity. The parasympathetic system serves the
opposite function, relaxing the body. There is normally a mild
oscillation between these systems, with the sympathetic system being
more predominant in waking hours and the parasympathetic system being
more predominant during sleep.
What happens when a person chokes during sleep?
The sympathetic nervous system responds to the danger of
decreasing oxygen by increasing output and releasing adrenaline. The
parasympathetic system responds by increasing its output, keeping the
person asleep. The cycle continues, creating severe instability between
the sympathetic and parasympathetic systems, which leads to problems
such as cardiac instability.
The potential effects of this instability include:
- High blood pressure
- High heart rate
- Strokes
- Diabetes
- Increased cortisol levels
- Weight gain
- Difficulty losing weight
- Fatigue
- Sudden death
An influential study, which was published in the Los Angeles
Times and Journal of Cardiology, compared the mortality of groups with
and without sleep apnea. Dr. De Silva explained that the study was
intended to last for ten years. However, after only four years, the
evidence was so compelling that researchers chose to publish it
immediately. Researchers found that individuals with sleep apnea die
sooner. According to the article, “It removes any reasonable doubt that
sleep apnea is a fatal disease.”
Dr. Cruz and Dr. De Silvia are among a group of medical
professionals who are dedicated to saving lives, and improving quality
of life, among people affected by sleep apnea.
