Leaving OSA Untreated: Risks and Complications

Obstructive Sleep Apnea (OSA) is a condition that is not self-resolving

Leaving OSA untreated can have many adverse effects on your overall health. In fact, untreated OSA can take up to 12-15 years off of your life! By comparison, cigarette smoking takes approximately 7-10 years and Type II Diabetes takes around 5-10 years off of your expected life span. This means OSA increases the risk of premature death by 46%. However, by knowing the symptoms and risks of OSA can help you start to live a healthier life! You can find a list of signs and symptoms in one of our other blog posts here.

How can it affect me?

1. Increased odds of heart attack to 23 to 3
2. Risk of heart failure, coronary artery disease and stroke increase
3. Development of abnormal heart rhythm
4. Sudden death from cardiac event
5. Increased odds of developing Type II Diabetes
6. Increased risk of Hypertension
7. Weight Gain (increases the odds of aforementioned risks)

What can I do?

If you have concerns that you could be affected by Obstructive Sleep Apnea, calling our office to schedule a complimentary screening is a great first step! Because our doctors can help determine if you have a type of sleep apnea, they can also help determine what options could be best for you, including our newly offered line of sleep appliances.

Do you already know you have OSA? Are struggling to tolerate your Continuous Positive Airway Pressure (CPAP) machine? By scheduling a consultation to speak with our doctors, you could gather more information on sleep appliance options that could help you breathe better during the night if you find that you aren't wearing your CPAP. So if you struggle with tolerating your CPAP, find out if one of these options could work for you!