No, sleep apnea (OSA) is not inherently a terminal illness, but if left untreated, it significantly increases the risk of serious, life-threatening complications like heart disease, stroke, and diabetes, which can reduce life expectancy and, in rare cases, cause sudden death during sleep, say sources. With proper treatment, like CPAP, the risks are greatly reduced, and individuals can live long lives, according to the American Academy of Sleep Medicine.
Sleep apnea complications may reduce your life expectancy if untreated. A healthcare provider will work with you to manage the condition and prevent this. Many factors go into determining your life expectancy, so your provider is the best person to talk to about your situation since it may or may not match statistics.
Cardiovascular strain
Sleep apnea forces the body into a state of constant alarm. Each time breathing stops, oxygen levels drop, triggering the release of stress hormones. Over time, these fluctuations strain the heart. Risks include high blood pressure, an irregular heartbeat, heart attack, and stroke.
While it is possible for some cases of sleep apnea to improve or even resolve on their own, it is not common. In most cases, sleep apnea is a chronic condition that requires treatment to manage its symptoms and prevent further complications.
Finally, because it's caused by your nervous system and mental processes, central sleep apnea has also been known to resolve itself without treatment – in fact, Medscape states that 20 percent of all central sleep apnea cases resolve themselves spontaneously.
How sleep apnea affects your health
Like many sufferers, Shaq was unaware that he had sleep apnea until his partner told him about his pattern of snoring and gasping for breath. After completing a sleep study and being diagnosed with moderate sleep apnea, Shaq was fitted with a CPAP mask to get a better night's rest.
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.
Highlights. Sleep hypopnea is defined as a drop of ≥30% in breathing amplitude and in oxygen saturation >3% (AASMedicine), or >4% (CMMS). This study reveals a systematic bias, with the 3% criterion consistently yielding higher apnea/hypopnea index values.
A person with OSA has times during sleep in which air cannot flow normally into the lungs. The block in airflow (obstruction) is usually caused by the collapse of the soft tissues in the back of the throat (upper airway) and tongue during sleep.
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.
Loud snoring that usually starts soon after falling asleep. Snoring stops suddenly (while breathing stops) A snort or gasp for breath before snoring starts again.
Sleep apnea is linked to obesity
Rosen, noting that this may also have to do with the rise in recognition for sleep apnea too. But this is “in part because it's very much linked to obesity and obesity is becoming more prevalent,” she said. “They get more airway collapse. They're having poor sleep.
Oral appliance therapy is an effective treatment option for snoring and obstructive sleep apnea (OSA). An oral appliance fits over your teeth like an orthodontic retainer while you sleep and supports your jaw in a forward position to keep your airway open.
In short: yes—an oxygen level of 81% during sleep is dangerously low, especially if sustained or recurrent. Normal oxygen saturation levels (SpO2) typically remain between 95% and 100% in healthy adults, both awake and asleep.
The amount of time that a sleep apnea patient stops breathing can be from 10 seconds to two minutes or more. These breathing "stoppages" can happen a few times per hour or, in more severe cases, 60-100 times per hour or to the point where someone spends more time NOT breathing than they are breathing.
For those with sleep apnea, the goal is to keep the airways open during sleep. Elevating the head slightly can help, but using too many pillows can cause the head to tilt forward, potentially worsening the condition. One or two pillows offering firm support and aligning the head and neck are usually recommended.
People with obstructive sleep apnea have a peak in sudden death from cardiac causes during the sleeping hours, which contrasts strikingly with the nadir of sudden death from cardiac causes during this period in people without obstructive sleep apnea and in the general population.
Untreated sleep apnea, a condition characterized by frequent pauses in breathing during sleep, can potentially increase the risk of atrial fibrillation and stroke.
Researchers have found evidence that sleep apnea could potentially speed up biological aging if it remains untreated; your dentist is here to explain why this might happen as well as what you can do to improve your health and get a good night's sleep again.
The Inspire® implant
The Inspire implant keeps your airway open while you sleep, so you can breathe regularly and sleep soundly.
Arnold Klein said that Jackson used an anesthesiologist to administer propofol to help him sleep while he was on tour in Germany. The anesthesiologist would "take him down" at night and "bring him back up" in the morning during the HIStory World Tour of 1996 and 1997.
Famed “Star Trek” actor William Shatner has publicly acknowledged living with sleep apnea. He credits his CPAP machine with improving his sleep quality and overall health. Now in his 90s, Shatner continues to advocate for sleep apnea awareness, especially among older adults who may not realize they are at risk.