Question 1

can you die from obstructive sleep apnea?

Accepted Answer

Indirectly: Untreated sleep apnea causes drops in oxygen levels during sleep, this causes a release of catecholamines which are of "stress hormones". Over time this can increase the risk of high blood pressure, diabetes, heart disease, and pulmonary hypertension. Overtime these can lead to death. In addition the sleep deprivation leads to increase car accidents, which can be fatal. Treatment helps avoid this.

Question 2

can one die from sleep apnea if untreated?

Accepted Answer

Yes: Sleep apnea leads to a variety of problems that can make a person die sooner than expected. Sleep apnea leads to issues such as:  high blood pressure, heart disease, stroke, type 2 diabetes, metabolic syndrome, automobile accidents, etc...  These issues sometimes are fatal, so sleep apnea should be treated. One's primary care doctor can help, and refer to specialists if needed.

Question 3

can i die from obstructive sleep apnea if i ignore it?

Accepted Answer

Yes: If totally ignored it can be a cause of death.  However, that is extremely unlikely as it is usually slowly progressive and usually forces one to see a doctor because the symptoms are so miserable.

Question 4

could sleep apnea cause you to suffocate to death in your sleep?

Accepted Answer

Not likely: Not likely. But it can lead to or compound other medical issues such as high blood pressure, diabetes, heart disease, stroke, obesity, and high cholesterol. It is best to have it formally checked out by a sleep medicine specialist. Hope that helps!

Question 5

im afraid to fall asleep because im afraid ill die if i do, especially if i do have sleep apnea.

Accepted Answer

Afraid to die  : Sleep apnea is a concerning condition. In the wisdom of how we are made the body wants to survive and wakes us up if we have problems breathing in the middle of the night. I wonder how much of your fear is not related to sleep apnea. See your primary care doctor, it also sounds like you need to address your fears.

Question 6

can you die from obstructive sleep apnea? what causes death? is it preventable? what test do you need to have run on you?

Accepted Answer

Obstructive : Obstructive sleep apnea is a chronic condition that is tough on your body. It happens when your airway closes off as you sleep causing disrupted sleep, snoring and fatigue and sleepiness the next day. Osa causes early mortality due to the chronic low oxygen levels at night and causes heart and lung disease and contributes to memory problems.

It is diagnosed in a sleep clinic where you check in at night, sleep in their bed with monitors on your arms, legs , head and chest for the night. If you have obvious osa they will often wake you and put a CPAP device on you to see if it helps you keep your airway open on that same night.

Cpap is a device that you wear under your nose or on your face like a mask and it helps put continuous airway pressure to keep your airway from closing.

Folks with osa describe feeling tired all the time "like I am walking through mud".  They fall asleep at the wheel driving and get high blood pressure.

The diagnostic test is easy and just takes one night to help decide if this is a problem for you.

Question 7

when i'm unwell with colds etc i wake up often during night feeling like i wasnt breathing. my oxygen levels are around 88% when i check and come up very quickly to 99% once awake. perhaps sleep apnea? how can i make sure i don't die from this? scary?

Accepted Answer

: Sleep apnea is a condition that often goes undiagnosed for years. Treatments are available. Proper diagnosis relies on a sleep study.Discuss your symptoms with your doc and see if they feel one is appropriate.

Question 8

can you die from central sleep apnea?
i was just diagnosed and cant tolerate cpap. i want to find out the reason for csa. ep said not heart. now what?

Accepted Answer

Mgt: I would suggest an evaluation with a Neurologist who also specializes in sleep disorders. You may need imaging to rule out any lesions.
There are certain masks which are form fitting which are more comfortable to wear.

Question 9

how serious is a 2 cm congenital myocardial bridge? 49-year-old male, with severe sleep apnea. surgery set for open heart surgery july 6 due to risk of sudden death. seeking second opinion at columbia. is it truly that serious?

Accepted Answer

: I assume no symptoms, good stress test. Mortality from these congenital bridges is low. I recommend a second opinion by a cardiothoracic surgeon at a department of cardiothoracic surgery at a university hospital like Columbia. Perhaps dynamic studies can be done to see degree of compression of the artery during systole&amp; diastole which will show how much diminished blood flow. Meds can treat also

Question 10

what is sleep apnea?

Accepted Answer

Not breathing: Apnea is breath-holding, or not breathing.  Some people have periods of time they don't breath while they are asleep.  Sometimes it is related to body weight, other times it is neurological.  Treatment usually involves weight loss, mouthguards to reposition the mouth, or even cpap.  If not treated, this can lead to lung/heart problems, chronic fatigue, weight gain, and high blood pressure.

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Doctor answers about:

Can you die in your sleep from sleep apnea

A member asked:

Can you die from obstructive sleep apnea?

A member asked:

Can one die from sleep apnea if untreated?

A member asked:

Can i die from obstructive sleep apnea if i ignore it?

A member asked:

Could sleep apnea cause you to suffocate to death in your sleep?

A member asked:

Im afraid to fall asleep because im afraid ill die if i do, especially if i do have sleep apnea.

A member asked:

Can you die from obstructive sleep apnea? what causes death? is it preventable? what test do you need to have run on you?

A member asked:

When i'm unwell with colds etc i wake up often during night feeling like i wasnt breathing. my oxygen levels are around 88% when i check and come up very quickly to 99% once awake. perhaps sleep apnea? how can i make sure i don't die from this? scary?

A member asked:

Can you die from central sleep apnea? i was just diagnosed and cant tolerate cpap. i want to find out the reason for csa. ep said not heart. now what?

A member asked:

How serious is a 2 cm congenital myocardial bridge? 49-year-old male, with severe sleep apnea. surgery set for open heart surgery july 6 due to risk of sudden death. seeking second opinion at columbia. is it truly that serious?

A member asked:

What is sleep apnea?

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