Snoring is not a minor problem. You should ignore it thinking it only disturbs your sleep. But if it happens because you have obstructive sleep apnea (OSA), this might put your body at risk. Because it’s a serious sleep disorder where your breathing is interrupted during sleep. If you don’t get sleep apnea treated, it may cause those recurring spells your breath getting stopped repeatedly during the sleep. And when that happens, your brain may fail to get the standard levels of oxygen to help the body function. This is how a variety of other health risks are posed to the body –

Here are some of the major health risks of sleep apnea – 

Heart failure 

Sleep apnea is linked to high blood pressure. This will put the strain on your heart and disturb its natural functioning. In fact, people with sleep apnea are likely to have an abnormal heart rhythm which in turn can increase the chances of a stroke. And if the problem is not treated in a timely manner, there may always a greater risk of heart failure.

Asthma

People with sleep apnea are likely to have their symptoms of asthma worsened over time. This happens due to lack of oxygen supply to the body. With short of breath on a regular basis, there may also be a greater risk of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). In fact, the problem is so debilitating that it can even make exercising difficult to even healthy people.

Diabetes

People with sleep apnea are more likely to develop type 2 diabetes than the rest. They are at a greater risk of developing insulin resistance which can disturb their ability to manage blood sugar level in the body. And when someone’s body is unable to respond well to the hormone insulin, the risk of diabetes is thus a natural outcome. For that reason, don’t ignore snoring and get it treated at the earliest.

Obesity

Lack of sleep due to snoring may lead to obesity. In fact, sleep problems are among the major causes of obesity. And you should know that obese people are always at a greater risk for diabetes and heart problems. If you’re not getting proper or enough sleep, this causes an immediate medical consultation. Otherwise, you might make the body suffer a great deal in future.

Fatty liver disease

When your levels of live enzymes are higher than the normal levels, it may be a sign of sleep apnea. The same sleep disorder may also cause fatty liver disease and liver scarring. Apnea is a kind of problem that can increase symptoms of gastro-esophageal reflux disease (GERD). All these digestive issues can harm the body a lot if allowed to persist in the absence of treatment.

Numbness and tingling 

Sleep apnea can cause problems related to some minor disruption to the functioning of your nervous system. So, you may experience numbness and tingle like neurological symptoms. Your breathing may get disturbed due to a disturbed rhythm to the brain signals. So, never ignore apnea and always consult the doctor for a right treatment.

Erectile dysfunction 

Apnea could lead to erectile dysfunction. It can affect your sex drive or sexual desire. All this may put in danger your ability to have children. So, never ignore snoring or any other sleep problem as who knows, something bigger might be developing inside your body.

In overall, apnea is an entirely treatable problem provided you seek timely medical consultation. There is even dental appliance for sleep apnea so you needn’t worry beyond a point and rather seek medical help for your problem.