CPAP therapy has been shown to effectively treat obstructive sleep apnea. And, over the course of one year, CPAP therapy helped to reverse visible damage to the brain and significantly improve nearly all the symptoms related to cognitive ability and mood.
Sleep apnea-related brain damage can be partially or completely reversed in many cases with positive airway pressure (PAP) therapy, usually with a continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) device.
If you undergo surgery, it will take several days to recover. If you are using CPAP, it will take some time before you notice the positive effects of the treatment. Averagely, the effects will start showing around three months, and full recovery can be up to a year.
OSA is a chronic disease that involves repetitive pauses in breathing during sleep. These breathing pauses can prevent your body from supplying enough oxygen to the brain. In severe cases this lack of oxygen can lead to brain damage.
While there is no cure for sleep apnea, studies show that certain lifestyle factors can reverse or make your sleep apnea less intense. Other treatment or surgical options can also reverse the condition.
Studies show that patients who develop sleep apnea before the age of fifty have a life expectancy between 8 and 18 years. Fortunately lifestyle changes, treatment, and other interventions can improve the life expectancy of someone with sleep apnea.
It's certainly not set in stone that everyone must use a CPAP machine forever, but stopping isn't in the cards for everyone. Those who may be able to eventually retire their CPAP typically have modifiable factors contributing to their condition that need to be better managed.
Severe sleep apnea shortens life expectancy, in the worse case by as much as 4 times. Individuals with severe sleep apnea from the study reported having strokes and even cancer before they died, proving how much severe sleep apnea can be very destructive to someone's health.
Untreated sleep apnea can put you at risk for numerous health problems, harming your short and long-term health. “People with sleep apnea are at increased risk of heart-related conditions,” says Adrian Pristas, M.D., pulmonologist and corporate medical director, Centers for Sleep Medicine at Hackensack Meridian Health.
Sleep deprivation significantly impairs a range of cognitive and brain function, particularly episodic memory and the underlying hippocampal function. However, it remains controversial whether one or two nights of recovery sleep following sleep deprivation fully restores brain and cognitive function.
For an overwhelming majority of patients (around 80%), just getting to a healthier weight is enough to make their sleep apnea go away.
Upper airway stimulation.
The tongue moves forward instead of moving backward and blocking the throat. Studies have found that upper airway stimulation greatly improves obstructive sleep apnea symptoms and quality of life.
Sleep Apnea and Brain Tissue Damage
Beyond memory problems, sleep apnea can also cause physical, measurable brain damage by starving your brain of oxygen. A recent study published in Sleep Journal found significant reductions in gray matter in certain areas of the brains of sleep apnea patients.
But if your IQ as a child was average, somewhere around 90 to 100, and you had sleep apnea that went untreated and lost 8-10 points, that could potentially place you one standard deviation below normal," Gozal said.
The researchers said that their study, “Memories,” is the first clinical trial to show that using a CPAP machine can significantly improve cognitive function for people with MCI.
Obstructive sleep apnea is classified by severity: Severe obstructive sleep apnea means that your AHI is greater than 30 (more than 30 episodes per hour) Moderate obstructive sleep apnea means that your AHI is between 15 and 30. Mild obstructive sleep apnea means that your AHI is between 5 and 15.
More than usual daytime sleepiness. Waking up with a dry throat or headache. Waking up often during the night. Difficulty concentrating or mood changes during the day.
Sleep apnea, cardiovascular risk and metabolism
Several studies have shown an association between sleep apnea and problems like type 2 diabetes , strokes , heart attacks and even a shortened lifespan, says Jun.
In addition, your sleep apnea will change as the risk factors mentioned above change. For example, weight gain or getting older will worsen the condition, as will increased allergies in the spring, which will make nighttime breathing more difficult and exacerbate your symptoms.
When OSA is not treated, it can also interfere with the normal functions of the cardiovascular and nervous systems. This may provoke abnormalities in a person's heart rhythms and other problems that can cause sudden cardiac death.
Sleeping on your back often worsens apnea, while sleeping on your side may lesson episodes of apnea. When you are lying on your back, your tongue and soft palate tend to fall back to the throat, which can increase breathing difficulties.
It can be a lot to adjust to. Studies suggest that from one-third to more than 50% of patients either stop using their CPAP machine or never bother to fill their prescription.
Many people find that the CPAP mask just feels too restrictive. For some people, the mask itself can induce feelings of claustrophobia and panic. This is especially true for masks that cover the mouth and nose.
According to the National Commission on Sleep Disorders Research, approximately 38,000 deaths occur on an annual basis that relate to cardiovascular problems that in one way, or another are connected to sleep apnea. These problems include high blood pressure and stroke, among others.