If you’re living with type 2 diabetes, you need to be careful since you could be at risk for several other conditions, some of which could worsen the damage inflicted by your high blood sugar. In particular, you should watch out for sleep apnea; diabetic patients have almost a 50-50 chance of also suffering from this disorder. If you want to learn more about the link between diabetes and sleep apnea, keep reading.
What are Type 2 Diabetes and Sleep Apnea?
Type 2 diabetes is the most common type of diabetes. It prevents your cells from correctly using the glucose that provides them with energy. As a result, the glucose stays in the blood stream (which is usually referred to as “high blood sugar”). Uncontrolled diabetes can damage your nerves, disturb your vision, and raise your risk of infection and heart disease.
People with sleep apnea will stop breathing repeatedly during the night, usually because the muscles and tissues in the mouth and throat have collapsed and obstructed the airway. When breathing stops, the brain wakes the body up to resume the flow of oxygen. As a result, the sleep cycle is interrupted. If you have sleep apnea, you may notice that you feel exhausted during the day, and you could be at risk for a heart attack or another cardiovascular problem.
How are Type 2 Diabetes and Sleep Apnea Connected?
So what does blood sugar have to do with sleep disordered breathing? In many cases, they could both have the same underlying cause: obesity. When you’re overweight, soft tissues may start to build up around your throat, increasing the risk that the airway will become blocked at night. Obesity also increases the risk of developing insulin resistance.
It’s unfortunate that sleep apnea and type 2 diabetes share similar risk factors because there’s evidence that sleep apnea could make diabetes worse. The stress of repeatedly waking up at night can have all kinds of effects on your body, including releasing the glucose stored in the liver. As a result, you’ll have higher blood sugar levels, which can contribute to insulin resistance.
What Should You Do to Treat Type 2 Diabetes and Sleep Apnea?
First of all, it’s important to make sure that you’re following your doctor’s directions for keeping your blood sugar at manageable levels. If you do that, you can avoid the severe long-term effects of the disease. As for sleep apnea treatment in Lawton, you can talk to a sleep dentist about oral appliance therapy. An oral appliance adjusts your jaw to keep your airway open, helping you rest peacefully throughout the night.
Don’t delay in getting treatment for diabetes or sleep apnea; both conditions will become more dangerous as time goes on if left alone. Act quickly so that you can continue to enjoy a healthy body and get a good night’s sleep.
About the Author
Dr. David J. Drummond served in the United States Army Dental Corps; he left active duty in 1988 to pursue a private dental practice in Lawton. As an expert sleep dentist, he has plenty of experience in using oral appliance therapy to help patients overcome sleep apnea without CPAP. To schedule an appointment at his sleep apnea office, visit his website or call (580) 355-0344.