A mountain of research has linked hypertension to obstructive sleep apnea. In fact, the association is so obvious, most health experts believe that sleep apnea treatment has the ability to significantly improve a sufferer’s overall health. Now, a recent study has reinforced these beliefs by offering real numbers that seem to show how treatment could have the potential to save lives.
Treatment Works
New research has shown that sleep apnea treatments also have the power to significantly reduce both diastolic and systolic blood pressure. Appearing in the Journal of Clinical Sleep Medicine, the study recruited approximately 220 male subjects who all had OSA and hypertension. After receiving sleep apnea treatment for between three months and a year, the participants showed dramatic, lasting reductions in blood pressure, which seems to indicate that patients can lower blood pressure by treating their OSA.
Choosing a Treatment
In this most recent study, researchers utilized positive airway pressure to treat subjects. That said, in many cases, sleep apneics have difficulty tolerating this particular kind of treatment due to a variety of factors. Since continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) is restrictive, it’s not a good option for people who like to sleep on their stomachs or sides. Additionally, the pressurized masks can cause painful and embarrassing pressure sores, while also creating disturbing and offensive noises. These issues often lean people to endure their sleep apnea, because they just can’t live with the drawbacks associated with CPAP therapy.
Contrarily, oral sleep apnea appliances provide quiet, comfortable relief that can eliminate the breathing problems, which promote the fragmented sleep that has been associated with high blood pressure and other health problems. To find out how sleep apnea devices can solve your sleep problems, Contact Our Rockland County Dental Office today.
