Can you live a long life with sleep apnea?

The impact on life expectancy with untreated severe sleep apnea is even more profound: It roughly doubles your risk of death. According to Johns Hopkins Medicine, studies have established that sleep apnea typically decreases life expectancy by several years.
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What is the life expectancy of someone with sleep apnea?

If left untreated, obstructive sleep apnea can shorten your life from anywhere between 12-15 years.
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Can you live a full life with sleep apnea?

Studies have shown that sleep apnea can decrease life expectancy by several years. In addition, people with untreated sleep apnea find their focus, concentration and organizational skills are reduced.
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Is sleep apnea a life long condition?

The Road to a Cure

This is simply not the case for sleep apnea — for most, it's a lifelong condition. The good news is that consistent treatment can drastically reduce symptoms, helping patients sleep better and have more fulfilled lives.
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Can you live with untreated sleep apnea?

Sleep apnea disrupts circadian rhythms, imbalances body and brain chemistry, interrupts cardiac and respiratory function, elevates blood pressure, and speeds up the heart's rate. When allowed to continue, untreated, it absolutely will lead to higher mortality for those who don't treat it.
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Draw my life: living with sleep apnea



Is sleep apnea a death sentence?

“Sleep apnea can directly cause death by a person's breathing being infrequent enough to create immediate tissue ischemia (tissue death from lack of oxygen) in the heart and/or brain, resulting in a fatal heart attack or stroke,” Jenna Liphart Rhoads, R.N., Ph.
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What are the chances of dying from sleep apnea?

About 19 percent of participants with severe sleep apnea died (12 deaths), compared with about four percent of participants with no sleep apnea (46 deaths).
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Does sleep apnea get worse with age?

Unfortunately, older adults are at higher risk of sleep apnea purely because of their age. While there is no cure or prevention for aging, there are ways for older adults to reduce their risk for sleep apnea, including: Maintaining a regular sleep schedule and avoiding too many naps.
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Does sleep apnea weaken the heart?

Sleep apnea increases the risk of heart failure by 140% and the risk of coronary heart disease by 30%.
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What happens if you don't treat your sleep apnea?

Sleep apnea is a serious sleep disorder that happens when your breathing stops and starts while you slumber. If it goes untreated, it can cause loud snoring, daytime tiredness, or more serious problems like heart trouble or high blood pressure. This condition is different from regular, or primary, snoring.
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Is sleep apnea a terminal?

Sleep apnea and heart disease. Yes, you can die from sleep apnea.
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Does CPAP prolong life?

The study found that the CPAP users cut their odds of dying from any cause over those 11 years by almost two-thirds, compared to nonusers.
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Can skinny people have sleep apnea?

The healthiest, skinniest person can still experience sleep apnea. A slender person may also be less likely to seek a diagnosis as they would not think sleep apnea is possible because of their weight.
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What is the most serious presenting symptom of sleep apnea?

Make an appointment with your doctor if you're exhibiting any of the symptoms of obstructive sleep apnea, especially: loud, disruptive snoring. episodes of stopped breathing while sleeping. abrupt awakenings from sleep that are frequently accompanied by gasping or choking.
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Can sleep apnea damage your lungs?

While classified as a sleep disorder, sleep apnea does lead to or worsen lung problems.
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Can sleep apnea be cured with exercise?

Fortunately yes, it does! Getting up and moving your body not only helps you look good and feel good, but regular, moderate exercise can support weight loss which may help treat or even prevent your sleep apnea symptoms. Physical activity and exercise isn't the only exercise that can help relieve sleep apnea symptoms.
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How many apneas per hour is severe?

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.
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What foods make sleep apnea worse?

5 Foods That Can Make Sleep Apnea Worse
  • Bananas. Bananas are full of healthful nutrients, and they are delicious. ...
  • Refined Carbohydrates. Whole grain foods are great for your health because they contain lots of nutrients and contribute to satiety. ...
  • Dairy. ...
  • Alcohol. ...
  • Fatty Meats.
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Does sleep apnea cause brain damage?

Severe sleep apnea is associated with brain damage and memory loss. Proper treatment can both prevent and reverse these complications. Sleep apnea is a chronic disorder characterized by repeated pauses in breathing during sleep.
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Does sleep apnea cause belly fat?

In women, researchers found no association between obstructive sleep apnea and visceral fat accumulation. In women, visceral fat was only associated with body-mass index.
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Will losing weight cure sleep apnea?

Q: Can weight loss cure sleep apnea? A: The short answer is no. While there are several sleep apnea treatment options available, there is no cure. However, weight loss may help reduce sleep apnea symptoms for some people, but only if you have obstructive sleep apnea.
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How I cured my sleep apnea?

Treatment
  1. Lose weight if you're overweight.
  2. Exercise regularly.
  3. Drink alcohol moderately, if at all. Don't drink in the hours before bedtime.
  4. Quit smoking.
  5. Use a nasal decongestant or allergy medications.
  6. Don't sleep on your back.
  7. Avoid taking sedative medications such as anti-anxiety drugs or sleeping pills.
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Can heart damage from sleep apnea be reversed?

Though sleep apnea is a reversible thing, you can control it, you can treat it, you can live a normal life with it, but if we do not treat it, we fail to diagnose it, then it leads to heart failure and stroke and we know these things are irreversible.
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How many hours per night should CPAP be used?

If you're wondering, “how many hours per night should CPAP be used?” the answer is, for the entire night while you sleep, ideally 7+ hours. CPAP compliance measures how many hours and nights you use your therapy and if you use it often enough for effective treatment.
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What are the long term effects of sleep apnea?

Having obstructive sleep apnea increases your risk of high blood pressure (hypertension). Obstructive sleep apnea might also increase your risk of recurrent heart attack, stroke and abnormal heartbeats, such as atrial fibrillation.
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