Finding out that you have sleep apnea is definitely cause for concern. Not only can it leave you feeling exhausted during the day, but it can also increase your risk for serious heart problems. Unfortunately, the consequences don’t stop there; researchers have found that if sleep apnea is left alone, it could lead to vision loss or even blindness. To help you understand the importance of having sleep apnea treated quickly, here’s a closer look at the negative effect the disorder can have on your eyes.
What Exactly is Sleep Apnea?
Sleep apnea is a common sleep disorder that is estimated to affect around 30 million people in the United States. It occurs when your breathing repeatedly stops and restarts while you’re asleep, usually as a result of the airway being partially or completely blocked. Each pause in your breathing forces your brain to wake your body up, thus pulling you out of the sleep cycle. As a result, sleep apnea makes it very difficult to get the quality rest that you deserve.
How Can Sleep Apnea Lead to Blindness?
It has been found that people with sleep apnea have a significantly higher chance of developing glaucoma, which is an eye disease that damages the optic nerve that sends visual information to the brain. Said damage may be the result of sleep apnea episodes causing your blood oxygen levels to decrease. As the second leading cause of blindness in the world, glaucoma is a dire threat to your vision.
On top of that, if you have diabetes, sleep apnea may increase your risk for diabetic retinopathy, which can damage the blood vessels in your retina (the part of the eye that detects light). This can eventually cause fluid to build up in the retina, resulting in a condition called macular edema. Left unaddressed, macular edema can damage your eyes and ultimately lead to blindness.
How Can You Treat Sleep Apnea Before It Leads to Blindness?
If you want to avoid blindness and other severe consequences of sleep-disordered breathing, you should have sleep apnea treated as promptly as possible. In many cases, your dentist can effectively address the issue with a customized oral appliance. When you wear this device, it will move your lower jaw slightly forward to help keep your airway unobstructed while you sleep, thus making breathing interruptions less likely to occur.
The sooner you have sleep apnea treated, the better chance you’ll have of avoiding long-term health consequences such as blindness. Thus, if you’ve noticed any possible warning signs of sleep apnea (such as being told that you snore loudly), it’s best to get the care you need as quickly as possible.
About the Author
Dr. Jonathan H. Cohen is a graduate of the State University of New York at Buffalo School of Dental Medicine, and he has completed advanced training at The Pankey Institute for Advanced Dental Education and The Dawson Center for Advanced Dental Study. His St. Johns practice, Julington Creek Family Dentistry, offers personalized oral appliances for treating sleep apnea. If you’re looking for a solution for sleep-disordered breathing, you can schedule an appointment with Dr. Cohen by visiting his website or calling (904) 230-2961.