Untreated sleep apnea increases the risk

Untreated sleep apnea increases the risk of hypertension

Symptoms like snoring, waking up tired, and falling asleep in front of the TV are so common to us that they hide one of the most difficult-to-diagnose chronic conditions, including:

sleep apnea"This pathology affects millions of people, including women, young people and children, whose

"Atypical symptoms delay diagnosis for years," explains Daniel Garkovic, researcher at the Department of Sleep Research and director of the Master's Degree in Advanced Orthodontics at the European University of Valencia.

Garcovich said, "Sleep apnea is still so underdiagnosed because it's not always the same, and in many cases it doesn't match the wisdom we have about the disease. This stereotype acts as a mental filter."

For example, in women, it is very common for apnea to manifest itself as symptoms such as insomnia, fatigue, headaches, or anxiety, which are often confused with stress, depression, or incorrectly attributed to menopause.In children, symptoms can be misleading.

This can manifest as irritability, hyperactivity or behavioral problems," added the European University expert.

Living with apnea for years without treatment comes at a high cost to your health.Oxygen levels decrease nightly and micro-awakenings keep the body in a state of alertness.Harkovic notes that "in the long term, this is especially notable in the cardiovascular system: it is associated with increased blood pressure, arrhythmias (such as atrial fibrillation), and

An increased risk of cardiovascular events.In fact, when we see a

Difficulty controlled hypertension that remains high despite multiple medications, apnea may be one of the contributing factors." For this reason, it is recommended to actively look for possible sleep disorders in patients with resistant or poorly controlled hypertension.

At the metabolic level, apnea is common

People with type 2 diabetes associated with poor glucose control.In addition, worse concentration, memory and a

showed an increased risk of traffic and occupational accidents.

Effective treatment options exist to address these risks

CPAP (positive mask pressure) continues to be the method of choice, but its biggest problem is compliance: although it works very well, some patients find it difficult to integrate it into their daily lives and end up using it less than they should or abandoning it."The big "but" is that

"Its true effectiveness depends on its continued use," emphasizes the expert. For those who cannot tolerate CPAP, there are alternatives such as

Mandible development scheme (MAD).Doing this custom-made pillow during sleep promotes air purification and is an effective solution that always requires professional supervision.

“DAM is a powerful alternative, but its success is highly dependent on its execution by a trained professional in a well-armed clinical ward.

Dentists are experts in dental sleep medicine: it's not about 'putting a mirror and that's it', but selecting a good candidate, designing a special device, adjusting it gradually and coordinating with a sleep specialist to

try it for sure it works," insists Garcovich.

To improve cognition, it is important to develop

Active strategies in medical consultation and also in dentistry, including systematically important questions about snoring, respiratory arrest, waking up with a feeling of fatigue or non-restorative sleep, especially in people with risk factors or related pathologies.And, above all, it makes it easier to quickly turn this suspicion into a test: "Today, many cases

A home study (such as respiratory polygraphy at home) can be carried out, which will speed up the process and reduce costs, dedicating the laboratory to more complex situations", explains the researcher from the Department of Sleep Research and director of the Master in Advanced Orthodontics at the European University of Valencia.

Also, experts mention its potential.

New wearable devices (rings, bracelets) as screening tools to guide and prioritize studies, but she warns that they do not replace specialists: “This is not self-diagnosis. It is right that these devices serve

increase the suspicion and accelerate the cycle, but the final diagnosis must be confirmed by an expert with the appropriate method".

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