You may already be familiar with some of the potential health consequences of sleep apnea, such as an increased risk for heart problems. But the disorder also has some effects that aren’t as well-known. Notably, recent research has shown that there’s a link between sleep apnea and certain vision problems. Could untreated sleep apnea eventually lead to blindness? The answer can be found below.
What Happens When You Have Sleep Apnea?
The key characteristic of sleep apnea is that it causes your breathing to temporarily stop multiple times while you’re slumbering. These pauses are most commonly the result of obstructions of the airway, and they can potentially occur hundreds of times a night. Sleep apnea often leads to poor-quality slumber because your body keeps waking up for air. Common side effects of sleep apnea are excessive tiredness during the day, raised blood pressure, and having problems focusing.
How Can Sleep Apnea Affect Vision?
A study published in Ophthalmology (the journal of the American Academy of Ophthalmology) found that people with obstructive sleep apnea are 1.67 times more likely to develop glaucoma, a common eye disease. Glaucoma is when the optic nerves are damaged as a result of excessive pressure inside the eyes; over time, this can eventually lead to blindness.
Moreover, while sleep apnea is already known to be linked to a higher risk for diabetes, research from Taiwan has indicated that it could also increase the chances of suffering from diabetic macular edema. This is a condition where high blood sugar causes fluids to leak into the macula (the part of the eye responsible for letting you see objects in detail). As a result, your vision may start to become blurry, and you could eventually experience blindness.
How Can You Treat Sleep Apnea and Protect Your Vision?
It’s best to have your sleep apnea properly treated before it can lead to any significant vision problems. To that end, if there are any signs that you may be suffering from sleep apnea (such as your bed partner noticing that you snore loudly or often stop breathing during the night), you should make arrangements to have a sleep test performed.
Once your sleep apnea has been diagnosed, you can figure out the best way to treat it. CPAP machines are often recommended, but some people are simply unable to get used to them. As such, it’s often worth speaking to your dentist to see if you might be a candidate for a personalized oral appliance that can help you maintain an open airway at night.
Sleep apnea can have all kinds of dire consequences when left unchecked, but if you’re proactive about seeking the care you need, you can protect your vision and your overall health while also making it possible to enjoy more restful nights again.
About the Author
Dr. Jay A. Nelson went to the University of Pennsylvania for his Doctor of Dental Medicine. He has completed more than 500 hours of education in the field of dental sleep medicine and is on the meeting planning committee of the American Academy of Dental Sleep Medicine. He is proud to provide oral appliance therapy as a solution for patients with sleep apnea who are CPAP intolerant. To schedule a consultation with Dr. Nelson at Nelson Dental Sleep Medicine in Wesley Chapel, visit his website or call (813) 733-4169.