Can You Die From Sleep Apnea Complications?

Can You Die From Sleep Apnea Complications? Yes.

For the estimated 25 million people in the U.S. who suffer from sleep apnea, it’s more than just a lifetime of poor sleep. If you have ever wondered if you can die from sleep apnea, the answer is simple: yes.

What are the dangers of untreated sleep apnea?

There are three different types of sleep apnea: obstructive sleep apnea, central sleep apnea, and complex sleep apnea. Obstructive sleep apnea is the most common type. A sleeper’s throat and tongue relax so much during sleep that the airway is blocked. Central sleep apnea is a rare form of sleep apnea that occurs when the sleeper’s central nervous system essentially “forgets” to tell the sleeper to breathe. Rarer still is complex sleep apnea, a combination of both of the first two types.

Untreated sleep apnea means more than just sleepy days and poor focus. In addition to the daily litany of uncomfortable and debilitating health effects (e.g., migraines, sweating, weight gain, and loss of sex drive), sleep apnea raises your risk of the following conditions:

• Cardiovascular disease
• Stroke
• High blood pressure
• Depression (or worsening depression if already present)
• Migraine
• Diabetes
• Obesity
• Glaucoma complications

But that’s not all. While sleep apnea itself, the pause in breath and choking intake of air, is not likely to kill you, it does come with something that will.

Can you actually die from sleep apnea?

Why is sleep apnea so dangerous?

The link between sleep apnea and sudden cardiac arrest comes down to abnormal heart rhythm. Disordered breathing triggers a flight or fight response. Reena Mehra, a sleep expert and researcher in studies that verify this connection, notes that:

“Sleep apnea may lower oxygen levels, activate the fight-or-flight response and change pressure in the chest when the upper airway closes, stressing the heart mechanically.” Over time, this constant, nightly stress can prove too much for the heart, causing sudden heart failure and death.

Dr. Mehra also notes that:

“…. our group has shown that people with severe obstructive sleep apnea have a two-to-fourfold greater risk of abnormal heart rhythms than people without sleep apnea.”

How many people die from sleep apnea?

Statistics indicate that an estimated 38,000 people die from sleep-apnea-induced heart failure annually in the U.S., but this number is challenging to verify. It’s challenging because many of these deaths are complicated by other comorbid conditions such as depression or use of depressants (either prescribed or taken improperly).

In the case of Carrie Fisher’s death, medical examiners were convinced that although drugs were found in her body, the main cause was sleep apnea-induced heart failure. The stress of disordered breathing can literally break your heart.

Obstructive sleep apnea has a tendency to increase the chances of sudden cardiac death in the middle of the night, too. Those with sleep apnea are two and a half times more likely to die of heart failure between midnight and six a.m. than those without it.

Even if it’s hard to pin down the exact numbers of sudden death from sleep apnea (or even numbers of death from sleep apnea), the research is clear: the risks of untreated sleep apnea can be fatal.

How to avoid sleep apnea and sudden death

The very best way to avoid sleep apnea and its potentially fatal complications starts with a proper diagnosis. An estimated 80% of severe sleep apnea sufferers don’t even know they have it.

Visit your doctor if your sleeping partner notices your breathing pause followed by a gasping, choking intake of air at night or if you:

• Wake up exhausted and experience daytime sleepiness
• Have morning headaches or migraines
• Have a dry mouth in the morning
• Snore
• Experience high blood pressure
• Have nighttime sweating unrelated to menopause or other medical condition

If you are diagnosed with sleep apnea, treatments like CPAP machines and sleep apnea dental devices can save your life. Ask your doctor about other lifestyle changes such as weight loss and cutting down on alcohol and smoking. A whole-body, holistic approach to treating sleep apnea is better for your overall health and can make a radical difference in how you feel.

Sleep apnea is a dangerous condition, but a sleep apnea dentist can help. AZ Sleep recognizes the signs and symptoms of sleep apnea and can recommend treatments that are safe and effective for you. Get in touch today for more information.