If you’re like thousands of other Americans, you may be in the process of shopping for a Valentine’s Day gift for your significant other. But there’s one gift CPAP Central would like to encourage you to give them this holiday season that can’t be bought in stores—a heart that not only loves them, but functions for a long time!
As we have discussed in a few previous blog posts, obstructive sleep apnea and heart disease are inseparably linked, and OSA can have severe effects on your heart. Since February is American Heart Month, we thought now would be an appropriate time to identify the ways in which sleep apnea can affect your heart and cardiovascular system, and more specifically the connection between OSA and heart attacks.
We know that sleep apnea causes periods of time in which a person literally stops breathing for anywhere between two and 10 seconds normally. This can occur dozens of times during the night. Each time this happens, the carbon dioxide level in the blood rises and the major organs of the body (the heart, brain, etc.) are starved of oxygen-rich blood.
Studies have found that during non-breathing periods, the body’s “fight or flight” mechanism is triggered, causing a decrease in the amount of blood pumped to the heart. This can severely damage the heart, especially over the course of four to five years.
In the worst case, a heart attack can occur during the night. A Mayo Clinic study found these normally occur between the hours of midnight and 6 a.m. The study evaluated 92 patients admitted because of heart attacks. Of those admitted between midnight and 6 a.m., 91 percent had obstructive sleep apnea.
While there is a definite link between OSA and heart attacks and cardiovascular disease, you are not helpless if you have been diagnosed with OSA. CPAP therapy has been shown to decrease your risks of severe complications, and can even help your conditions improve.
At CPAP Central, we can help you improve your heart health by providing you with everything you need to combat sleep apnea. See our online catalog for a wide variety of CPAP machines and supplies!