Sleep apnea is something which needs to be treated seriously and is a condition that will go away by itself with time. In fact sleep apnea is classified as being a “progressive disease” and this means that just like diabetes, heart disease and cancer it worsens in time. There is a great deal of discussion in the medical community about the effect that sleep apnea has on other medical problems. There is a definite link between sleep apnea and a number of physical conditions including hypertension, heart attack, heart failure, diabetes, pulmonary hypertension, stroke and kidney failure.

An increasing amount of research is looking at why these health problems are related to problems that erupt the upper airways of a person suffering from sleep apnea. Of course it is well known that cigarette smoking, alcohol abuse and being overweight contribute to sleep apnea and in turn lead to a greater chance of developing high blood pressure and heart disease. What is not clear however is why many people who do not have any of these elements in their lifestyle still suffer from sleep apnea.

When breathing ceases during a sleep apnea episode the blood has increased levels of carbon dioxide and decreased oxygen levels. Accordingly, a number of physical and chemical events takes place in the body that then raises the possibility of other problems arising in the body.

In sleep apnea sufferers who are overweight experts have discovered high levels of immune factors called interleukin 6 (IL-6) and tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha). High levels of both of these factors can produce serious inflammation in the body which can cause cell damage, particularly within the arteries. In one study it was demonstrated that individuals with elevated levels of tumor necrosis factor-alpha had shortness of breath, excessive tiredness and weak heart pumping. It should be noted however that at this point no clear causal relationship has been established between obstructive sleep apnea and heart disease.

Various studies have been carried out to look at sleep apnea and high blood pressure and a connection has been established between the two. To give an example, a study undertaken in 2000 looked at patients for four years and reported that the greater the number of apnea episodes they experienced in the first year the greater the possibility of developing hypertension by the third or fourth year. Even amongst those who snored or who experienced mild sleep apnea there was a weak but nonetheless higher than usual association with hypertension.

Previously the link between sleep apnea and high blood pressure was considered to be strongly linked to obesity. Recent studies however are pointing to the fact that hypertension is seen especially in people who have sleep apnea no matter how much they weigh.

Blood pressure has an effect on sleep apnea because it fluctuates markedly during repeated sleep apnea episodes. These variations are also related to changes by way of sudden surges that take place in the sympathetic nervous system. This system controls involuntary muscle movements and most importantly those in the heart and blood vessels. It is believed that as time passes these fluctuations could play a major part in the development of permanent long term hypertension.

The starting point when looking at diabetes is to understand that it is a chronic disease which is distinguished by a distorted metabolism and raised levels of blood sugar which result in reduced levels of insulin. It is also important to note that the symptoms of diabetes can look very much like those of a host of other conditions and the disease can therefore go undetected for years. Screening for this particular condition is important as early diagnosis and prompt treatment greatly increase the quality of life for people who have this disease.

There are 2 key types of diabetes which those people who are unfamiliar with the disease generally find it hard to separate and these are type 1 and type 2 diabetes.

Type 1 diabetes is caused by the destruction of pancreatic beta cells which itself is caused by an auto-immune attack. It cannot be prevented and accounts for roughly 10 percent of all cases of diabetes (or more accurately diabetes mellitus) in North America and Europe. This type of diabetes can be found in children and adults and is often called juvenile diabetes.

It is possible to treat type 1 diabetes very successfully by closely monitoring blood glucose levels and adjusting the level of insulin in the body. Both type 1 and type 2 diabetes can require insulin and diabetic coma or death can follow if there is a rapid drop in insulin.

Aside from administering insulin, the best form of management for type 1 diabetes is a program of diet and exercise. Individuals with this disease must know their glucose level and be sure that insulin is replaced by injection or use of an insulin pump.

Type 2 diabetes is different from the type 1 form of this disease because it occurs as a result of insulin resistance or a sensitivity to insulin combined with the body’s reduced insulin production. This form of diabetes is common in people who are obese, are advanced in age, have a family history and who do not exercise.

Type 1 diabetics must use medication because their bodies have lost their ability to create insulin. However, type 2 diabetics have various different options when it comes to controlling their condition. In some cases exercise and diet might well be sufficient to keep type 2 diabetes under control but oral medication and insulin might also be included in a treatment plan.

There are several treatment choices available but the most critical part of the equation is the patient. This may well be chronic but that does not mean that it is a lost cause and there are many ways to keep the body healthy when you have diabetes. Indeed, the diabetic himself or herself is the key player when it comes to fighting the side effects of this all too common disease.

The most widespread form of sleep apnea is referred to as obstructive sleep apnea and is a disorder marked by periods in which breathing ceases while you are sleeping. Sometimes this medical condition is referred to as sleep apnea syndrome or obstructive sleep apnea syndrome.

In healthy people the muscles that work the upper portion of the throat ensure that the air flow into and out of the lungs is both steady and continuous. While you sleep these muscles relax slightly but nevertheless still do their job satisfactorily. However those people who suffer from sleep apnea generally have airways that are narrowed for one reason or another and therefore when the muscles relax the airway partially or completely closes thereby preventing the passage of air to the lungs. Labored breathing and snoring leading to a sleep apnea episode will then result.

In some people breathing can also stop altogether during periods of deep (or REM) sleep and medical experts and researchers are unclear about why this happens. These times during which breathing ceases can last for ten seconds or more in severe cases and are referred to as sleep apnea episodes or apneic events.

These sleep apnea episodes lead to an awareness that you have ceases breathing and you subsequently struggle to start breathing again which is normally accompanied by choking, gasping or even snorting.

Thereafter it is usual to settle into a period of light sleep before the cycle of sleep apnea episodes begins all over again.

The result is that an individual suffers from fragmented sleep which does not allow them to enjoy amount of rest which they need on a nightly basis. This in turn leads to a host of health problems one of which is excessive daytime tiredness. One reason for this daytime symptom is the fact that the level of oxygen in the blood stream falls significantly during an apneic event resulting in a condition called hypoxia.

It is most important to be aware that a lot of people who suffer from sleep apnea are unaware of their problem and normally it is left to others to point out the problem. Sleep apnea sufferers are generally aware of being very tired during the day but do not always know why this is so.

The commonest warning signs of sleep apnea are loud snoring, waking in the morning and still feeling tired, headaches in the morning, difficulties with memory, alterations in personality, falling asleep at inappropriate times, hypertension, hyperactivity (in children only) and swelling of the legs.

The first step in identifying sleep apnea should be an appointment with your doctor who will read through your medical history and examine your mouth, throat and neck for any signs of growths or abnormalities. If sleep apnea is suspected your physician will refer you for a sleep study and what is known as a polysomnogram. This test records brain waves, eye movement, muscle activity, breathing rate, heart rate, blood oxygen levels and the amount of air which is being both exhaled and inhaled during sleep.