Doctors link sleep apnea to heart failure. Repeated pauses in breathing during sleep may damage a person’s heart. Sleep apnea also commonly occurs in people with heart disorders. Managing the symptoms of one condition may help the other.
Sleep apnea is a type of disordered breathing in which a person repeatedly stops and starts breathing during their sleep. The most common type is obstructive sleep apnea, in which the upper breathing passage closes partially or totally when the person is sleeping.
Heart failure is a serious condition that develops when a person’s heart does not pump enough blood to meet their body’s needs.
Sleep apnea and heart failure share some similar symptoms, including difficulty falling or staying asleep, frequent nighttime urination, and waking with shortness of breath or gasping.
Treating sleep apnea can help improve health problems such as heart failure, and treating heart failure can help improve sleep apnea.
This article will look at sleep apnea’s link to heart failure and how managing sleep apnea can help a person stop heart failure from developing or worsening.
Sleep apnea is a type of sleep disorder in which a person repeatedly stops and starts breathing during their sleep.
Apnea causes breathing to stop for
Table of Contents
Types
The two main types of sleep apnea are obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) and central sleep apnea (CSA).
OSA is the most
CSA occurs when a person’s brain does not send out signals to maintain normal breathing, or the body does not correctly receive those signals. CSA is common among people with heart failure.
Repeated stops in breathing temporarily reduce the supply of oxygen to a person’s heart and lungs. This repetitive lack of oxygen triggers the release of stress hormones, leading to stress on the heart. In addition, blood pressure might increase, putting further strain on the heart.
The
Sleep apnea may also
Treatment of sleep apnea is dependent on its cause. If other medical problems are present, sleep apnea symptoms
Heart disease
Around
According to the
Heart disease refers to several types of heart conditions, including:
A
Managing sleep apnea depends on how severe a person’s sleep apnea is. Sleep testing can determine the type of apnea and its severity. If people receive a diagnosis of sleep apnea, they may be able to make some helpful changes to their diet and lifestyle or require specific treatment.
Lifestyle changes
For mild OSA, a doctor may suggest a person adopts certain lifestyle changes, such as:
- maintaining a moderate weight
- staying physically active and getting regular exercise
- limiting alcohol and caffeine consumption, where applicable
- reviewing and changing medications that may cause sleep apnea
- sleeping on one side
- quitting smoking if the person smokes
Read on for tips on how to quit smoking.
Treatments
Besides lifestyle changes, doctors typically recommend continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) machines to treat moderate to severe OSA. CSA is often more difficult to treat and may require more complex pressure delivery systems. It is best for people to receive this therapy through a sleep clinic.
The CPAP machine comprises a face or nose mask with a long flexible hose attached to the CPAP machine. It delivers pressurized air through the mask to keep a person’s airway open during their sleep.
Learn more about different CPAP masks.
Other sleep apnea management options include
According to a 2020 report from the
Sleep apnea can occur alongside heart failure. Certain conditions and genetic and lifestyle factors can increase the risks.
Medical conditions that may increase a person’s chance of developing heart failure include:
- diabetes
- high blood pressure
- obesity
conditions related to heart disease such as angina, atrial fibrillation, Marfan syndrome, and congenital heart defects
Behaviors that can increase a person’s risk for heart failure include:
- smoking tobacco
- eating foods high in fat and salt
- not doing an adequate amount of physical activity
- excessive alcohol intake
Heart failure is a serious medical condition. Doctors and other clinicians can help a person manage their heart failure.
People who use CPAP regularly show
Sleep apnea treatment combined with heart failure treatment may reverse a person’s existing heart damage by improving cardiac function.
Sleep apnea is a sleep-related breathing disorder that doctors link to heart failure.
Heart failure is a serious condition that develops when a person’s heart does not pump enough blood to meet their body’s needs.
Treating sleep apnea can relieve some symptoms of heart failure and may stop the condition from worsening. In turn, if a person can manage symptoms of heart disease, this can reduce their risk of developing sleep apnea.