What Happens if Sleep Apnea is Not Treated

Posted on 9/10/2021 by San Tan Oral Surgery

Sleep apnea that remains untreated is likely to cause serious health problems. This disorder is common, especially among males above 40 years of age who are overweight. Different kinds of sleep apnea exist, including obstructive sleep apnea, which is the common one. Obstructive sleep apnea happens when muscles of the throat relax and collapse while sleeping, causing blockage of the airway. Central sleep apnea occurs when your brain fails to relay proper signals to muscles controlling breathing. Complex sleep apnea is a rare form of the disorder and occurs when a person has both obstructive and central sleep apnea.

Problems with Sleep Apnea

If you do not get treatment for sleep apnea, you may be at risk of suffering serious health conditions such as high blood pressure or heart disease. With repeated sleep disruptions, a person may begin to experience high blood pressure and could suffer heart disease, including a heart attack. The sudden drops in oxygen levels in the blood are linked to heart problems arising from sleep apnea. When you stop breathing during sleep, it strains your cardiovascular system because of the drop in blood oxygen.

Other conditions that may develop as a result of untreated sleep apnea are type-2 diabetes and metabolic syndrome. People with sleep apnea that remains untreated have an increased chance of suffering from insulin resistance as well as type-2 diabetes.

Signs of Sleep Apnea

People with this disorder will have signs such as loud snoring, insomnia, daytime drowsiness, gasping for air while sleeping, waking up with a dry mouth or a morning headache, and stopping breathing repeatedly at night or during sleep. If you have sleep apnea, visit our oral & maxillofacial specialists at our dental office for diagnosis and treatment. Our oral & facial surgery team is committed to helping patients live better lives by addressing conditions such as sleep apnea.

About
Dr. Cynthia Colson

Dr. Colson grew up in the Metro area, attending Camelback High School and ASU. She graduated from the University of Kentucky Dental School and completed her residency at Long Island Jewish Hospital in Long Island, New York. She also attended an anesthesia fellowship program at the University of Illinois at Chicago and has traveled with Healing The Children, a non-profit organization, to Bucarumanga Columbia treating patients with cleft lip and palate deformities.
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"Dr. Colson is amazing! She explained everything thoroughly without sounding condescending and gently but directly guides you through the whole procedure. She is excellent and super experienced. I got my wisdom teeth pulled (3 partially impacted and one simply extracted) and aside from asking too many questions under laughing gas before the general anesthesia knocked me out, I got no complications and have had essentially no pain at all." – Ana D.

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Location

3303 S. Lindsay Rd.
Suite 112
Gilbert, AZ 85297

Contact

Office: (480) 604-2592

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San Tan Oral Surgery, 3303 S. Lindsay Rd. Suite 112, Gilbert, AZ 85297-2100, (480) 604-2592, santanoralsurgery.com, 12/4/2025, Tags: Dental Implants Gilbert AZ,