{"id":245,"date":"2023-03-03T20:55:45","date_gmt":"2023-03-03T20:55:45","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.sleepsolutionstopeka.com\/blog\/?p=245"},"modified":"2023-04-18T20:58:29","modified_gmt":"2023-04-18T20:58:29","slug":"can-sleep-apnea-impact-life-expectancy","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.sleepsolutionstopeka.com\/blog\/2023\/03\/03\/can-sleep-apnea-impact-life-expectancy\/","title":{"rendered":"Can Sleep Apnea Impact One\u2019s Life Expectancy?"},"content":{"rendered":"
\n
\"a<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n

Sleep apnea is a very serious and widespread issue\u2014in fact, it\u2019s estimated that obstructive sleep apnea (OSA), the most common iteration of the condition, affects the nightly rest of roughly 22 million people in the US. But lack of sleep isn\u2019t the only issue that results from sleep apnea; if left untreated, the condition can lead to various types of problems that affect one\u2019s general wellness and life expectancy. Keep reading to learn more from your sleep specialist in Topeka<\/a> about the lurking threat that sleep apnea poses, along with what you can do to get back to bed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

Understanding the Impact that Sleep Apnea Has on Life Expectancy<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Simply put, obstructive sleep apnea is a disorder that interrupts a person\u2019s breathing while they\u2019re asleep\u2014and it\u2019s notably characterized by loud snoring and persistent daytime fatigue, among other symptoms. These episodes occur due to partial blockage in the airway, and when this happens, your chest and diaphragm muscles must work harder than normal to keep your airway open. Since your body also must wake up to normalize your breathing when this blockage occurs, the result is frequently interrupted sleep. In fact, these episodes can occur hundreds of times throughout the night!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

But lack of sleep simply headlines the long list of complications that often accompanies sleep apnea. Since these fluctuations in oxygen levels put stress on the body, over time, the condition can take a severe toll on one\u2019s wellness. A few serious conditions that have been known to result from untreated OSA include:<\/p>\n\n\n\n