Risks of untreated
sleep apnea

Sleep apnea risks you should know about

Sleep apnea treatment is painless and noninvasive; but when it is left undiagnosed or untreated you run the risk of developing chronic health problems or injuries that can impact your quality of life.

Reduced quality of everyday life

Untreated sleep apnea can make it hard to get out of bed in the morning, and can cause relationship problems and depression.

It  can also cause grogginess, burnout, headaches, cognitive fogginess, hypersensitivity, tiredness, and irritability, all of which are common side effects of untreated sleep apnea.

The problem is that you can get used to feeling this way and not recognize that you could feel better if you treat your sleep apnea.

More than 70% of people with sleep apnea say they feel depressed and don’t know why. CPAP therapy can reverse the feeling of depression. ¹

Risk of future chronic diseases

If you are already living with sleep apnea, you might think it is safe to continue doing so at no risk.  Some people feel depressed, have a higher than average blood pressure, or are exhibiting the onset of diabetes and think these are unrelated to their sleep apnea.

However, by not treating your sleep apnea you risk the development or worsening of these chronic health diseases which are closely associated with obstructive sleep apnea, including:

• High blood pressure ^3,4
• Stroke ^3,4
• Type 2 diabetes ⁵
• Metabolic syndrome ⁶
• Depression ⁷

Injuries

Since untreated sleep apnea disrupts your sleep and can cause you to feel tired at work, at home, or even while driving, it may also lead to workplace or vehicle injuries with long-term health consequences.

This can occur because sleep apnea prevents you from getting the full restorative benefits of your sleep, which you rely on to stay alert and focused and make calculated decisions.

If you have untreated sleep apnea, you are 2.5 times more likely to be involved in a a vehicle collision. ⁸