Understanding How Untreated OSA Affects Your Blood Pressure

Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) afflicts up to 30% of adults in the United States. This disorder occurs when you stop breathing — an episode called an apnea — dozens to thousands of times a night.

Sleep apnea is associated with a range of life-threatening conditions, including heart attacks and strokes. Without treatment, OSA can also raise your blood pressure to unhealthy levels, a condition known as hypertension. 

Known as the “silent killer,” high blood pressure usually develops without any telltale symptoms. Without a diagnosis and treatment, hypertension can cause heart failure or stroke. About 119 million women and men in the US have high blood pressure. 

As part of High Blood Pressure Education Month in May, our team at Advanced Medical Care, wants to help you take steps to control the factors you can to keep your blood pressure healthy and your heart safe. Our cardiology and sleep medicine experts work together to make sure any risk factors, such as obstructive sleep apnea (OSA), are identified and addressed.

How can untreated OSA raise your blood pressure? Here is a breakdown.

Untreated OSA robs you of oxygen

When you have OSA or any other type of sleep apnea, your body is robbed of oxygen multiple times during the night. When your blood-oxygen levels dip too low, it affects the health of your organs, including your heart, brain, and blood vessels.

Like hypertension, OSA may be “silent” and symptomless in some patients. However, many OSA patients experience common signs and symptoms that may include:

• Snoring so loudly you wake yourself or others up
• Waking up because you gasp, gag, or choke 
• Daytime fatigue and drowsiness
• Trouble with memory and focus
• Irritability and mood swings
• Dry, parched throat in the morning

Treatment of OSA involves compensating for a physical obstruction of your airway to improve the flow of oxygen. This could include lifestyle changes or the use of a continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) machine. Rarely, you may need surgery to remove obstructive tissue.

Untreated OSA makes your heart work harder

In addition, OSA adds an extra strain on your heart. When you stop breathing during the night, your sympathetic nervous system goes into panic mode. Your body reacts as if it’s in a fight-or-flight situation:

• Increased heart rate
• Dilated pupils
• Increased metabolism
• Higher blood pressure

Every time you stop breathing at night when you have OSA, your sympathetic nervous system kicks in and your blood pressure spikes. After you awaken from an apnea, your blood pressure escalates even more.

Untreated OSA releases stress hormones

As you can imagine, stretches without oxygen during apneas also cause your sympathetic nervous system to release stress hormones, such as epinephrine (adrenalin) and dopamine. High levels of stress hormones strain your cardiovascular system.

When your body is chronically stressed, it can’t work optimally. Sleep apnea also disrupts the restfulness of your sleep, which means that your body can’t fully repair itself at night, leading to another cycle of stress. The chronic stress stimulates your heart to work harder, which raises your blood pressure even more.

Untreated OSA and obesity feed into one another

Many times, OSA is caused by obesity, because excess fat on your neck or a thickened tongue can by themselves cut off your airway when you sleep. In addition, the sleep deprivation and chronic stress initiated by OSA can then cause you to gain weight.

The sleep deprivation you experience with OSA doesn’t just affect your stress hormones, it also affects the hormones that regulate hunger and satiety. With OSA, you may feel hungry even after you’ve just eaten, which could lead to more weight gain and higher blood pressure.

In fact, just a 10% weight gain is associated with a sixfold increase in your risk for OSA. Luckily, losing just 5%-10% of your body weight can lower your risk for OSA and complications such as high blood pressure.

When you treat OSA, your blood pressure improves, too

Don’t delay getting a diagnosis and treatment if you suspect you have either OSA or high blood pressure. Both conditions are serious and could lead to early death.

The good news is that once you treat sleep apnea, your body gets the oxygen it needs when you sleep. You’re no longer chronically stressed. Your organs — including your heart and blood vessels — can repair themselves. 

If you’re obese, we also recommend a medically supported weight-loss program. Losing weight improves both OSA and blood pressure.

Don’t be surprised by the silent killer. Seek treatment for your OSA and get help with your blood pressure. Contact Advanced Medical Care in Queens or Brooklyn, New York, to meet with our experienced providers today.