Undiagnosed sleep apnea can be deadly if left untreated. Not only can it lead to the development of Type 2 diabetes, brain disease, and heart disease, but one’s quality of life is severely affected due to consistent sleep deprivation.

Who would have thought that you could lose a limb (Type 2 Diabetes), suffer a stroke (Brain Disease), or have a heart attack due to hyper tension (Heart Disease) simply because you’re not sleeping well? These are potential consequences if sleep apnea is left untreated.

Sleep Apnea Insights

Research from the Mayo Clinic (2020) indicates that sleep apnea is a serious medical condition.

Complications can include:

Daytime fatigue. The repeated awakenings associated with sleep apnea make normal, restorative sleep impossible, making severe daytime drowsiness, fatigue and irritability likely.

You might have difficulty concentrating and find yourself falling asleep at work, while watching TV or even when driving. People with sleep apnea have an increased risk of motor vehicle and workplace accidents.

You might also feel quick-tempered, moody or depressed. Children and adolescents with sleep apnea might perform poorly in school or have behavior problems.

High blood pressure or heart problems. Sudden drops in blood oxygen levels that occur during sleep apnea increase blood pressure and strain the cardiovascular system. Having obstructive sleep apnea increases your risk of high blood pressure (hypertension).

Obstructive sleep apnea might also increase your risk of recurrent heart attack, stroke and abnormal heartbeats, such as atrial fibrillation. If you have heart disease, multiple episodes of low blood oxygen (hypoxia or hypoxemia) can lead to sudden death from an irregular heartbeat.

Type 2 diabetes. Having sleep apnea increases your risk of developing insulin resistance and type 2 diabetes.

Metabolic syndrome. This disorder, which includes high blood pressure, abnormal cholesterol levels, high blood sugar and an increased waist circumference, is linked to a higher risk of heart disease.

Complications with medications and surgery. Obstructive sleep apnea is also a concern with certain medications and general anesthesia. People with sleep apnea might be more likely to have complications after major surgery because they’re prone to breathing problems, especially when sedated and lying on their backs. Before you have surgery, tell your doctor about your sleep apnea and how it’s being treated.

Liver problems. People with sleep apnea are more likely to have abnormal results on liver function tests, and their livers are more likely to show signs of scarring (nonalcoholic fatty liver disease).

Sleep-deprived partners. Loud snoring can keep anyone who sleeps near you from getting good rest. It’s not uncommon for a partner to have to go to another room, or even to another floor of the house, to be able to sleep.

Personal Experience

In retrospect, I have had sleep apnea since my teens years, and was not diagnosed and treated until I was 40 years old. This was largely due to my limited understandings of the seriousness of sleep apnea and my reluctance to practice self-care due to notions of toxic masculinity. I thought, “Real men don’t go to doctors because they snore.” However, with maturity (late), I have become more concerned with my health and how important sleep is to my personal well-being and that of my loved ones.

While I demonstrated classic sleep apnea symptoms like snoring, short pauses in breathing, choking and gasping for air, and severe daytime fatigue, I also experienced dreams where I was being choked and/or smothered. These dreams would wake me up and help my body to correct the obstruction in my throat. When I mentioned my dreams in a workshop with men, a participant stated, “I have dreams where I am surfing and get caught up in the waves and begin drowning.” Adding, “Then I wake up and wonder what that was about.” In other words, our bodies have knowledge and intelligence and can tell us what they need, but their language is different than what we are used too.

Listen to Your Body

If you think you may have sleep apnea, then go to your doctor and request a sleep apnea test. You may have to go to a sleep clinic (Overnight), or they may send you home with a monitor that you can use at home. My life has changed drastically due to my sleep therapy regiment. I am no longer tired during the day, nor am I irritable, which were two of my major symptoms. Also, I have lessened the potential of heart and brain disease in my later years of life.

https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/sleep-apnea/symptoms-causes/syc-20377631