An Overview of the Effects of Sleep Apnea
During the pauses in breathing that occur in someone with
sleep apnea, the oxygen levels in the blood drop. The brain reacts to the drop in oxygen by waking the person up enough to resume breathing (and snoring), but not necessarily enough to fully awaken the person. The cycle of snoring, not breathing, waking, and resuming breathing means that a person with sleep apnea does not get good quality sleep. Because of this, he or she may often:
- Feel very sleepy during the day
- Find it hard to concentrate
- Notice that his or her daytime performance is suffering.
Specific Effects of Sleep Apnea
The detrimental effects of sleep apnea range from annoying to life threatening. These effects of sleep apnea can include:
- Depression
- High blood pressure
- Irritability
- Sexual dysfunction
- Learning and memory problems
- Falling asleep while at work, on the phone, or driving.