Serious Complications of Sleep Apnea for Heart Failure Patients
While medical researchers have already outlined the serious concerns associated with sleep apnea, a recent study links a dangerous and fatal complication for patients who have heart failure. As sleep apnea sufferers experience bouts of decreased or interrupted breathing, the brain, which is deprived of oxygen in this case, is unable to send out the necessary messages to the respiratory muscles, telling them to inhale and exhale. This causes breathing to stop for several seconds to possibly a minute. These episodes may happen many times in the course of a night's sleep, which creates a special concern for patients who are already diagnosed with heart problems.
Special Concerns
Anyone who has heart failure should take note of the complications that can occur if sleep apnea is also present. A basic definition of heart failure is a disorder in which the heart is unable to pump enough blood per minute to supply the entire body's need for oxygen and essential nutrients. The key word here is oxygen. In both sleep apnea and heart failure, the person's supply of oxygen is reduced. When both conditions are present in a person, the failure of meeting necessary oxygen requirements is doubled to a dangerous degree. This raises the risk of a patient with heart failure dying during a sleep apnea episode. Additionally, this lower level of oxygen throughout the body can cause serious damage to major organs as well as contribute to psychological problems that result from a lack of restful sleep.
What Can Be Done?
If you have both heart failure and sleep apnea, there are ways to help you. Because of a recent study, doctors are now prescribing acetazolamide, which is a mild diuretic and respiratory stimulant. This prescription drug is taken before going to bed and it has been shown to improve oxygen levels and to diminish sleep apnea problems. People who participated in this study noted they were less tired during the daytime and they were better able to concentrate.
This medical study has been groundbreaking because previously, there wasn't considered to be a solid concern between heart failure and sleep apnea. Now, doctors are aware of the doubling effect each of these conditions has on a patient, through their combined effect on oxygen levels. Patients who are being treated for heart failure should also consult with their doctors about the possibility of sleep apnea being present. Although sleep apnea is very common, most of the time people are unaware they have this disorder. A proper diagnosis and treatment plan will provide both a restful night's sleep as well as a safer one.
