Wondering if sleep apnea affects your heart health? Here’s what happens to your cardiovascular system when breathing stops repeatedly during sleep.
Your body is supposed to rest at night, but if you have sleep apnea, your heart may be working overtime while you’re technically “asleep.” Salt Lake Dental Care treats sleep apnea for patients throughout Salt Lake City, Murray, and West Jordan, Utah, under the care of Dr. Clint Blackwood. Over 18 million Americans live with sleep apnea, and a significant portion don’t even realize it. The connection between sleep apnea and heart health is real, and understanding it may be the first step toward protecting both.
What Happens When You Stop Breathing at Night?
During sleep, throat muscles naturally relax. For people with sleep apnea, this relaxation causes the airway to narrow or collapse entirely. The brain senses the blockage and briefly wakes the body just enough to reopen the airway, often without any memory of it happening. This cycle can repeat hundreds of times throughout a single night, preventing deep, restorative sleep from ever taking hold.
Why Your Heart Feels Every Pause in Breathing
Each breathing pause cuts off oxygen supply, triggering a stress response throughout the body. Repeated oxygen dips, combined with constant partial awakenings, keep the cardiovascular system in a heightened state of alert. Over months and years, this nightly strain can gradually wear down heart function.
Cardiac Risks Linked to Untreated Sleep Apnea
Untreated sleep apnea has been associated with high blood pressure, irregular heart rhythms, heart disease, increased risk of heart attack, and stroke. This information is general in nature, and patients should always discuss their personal heart health concerns directly with their physician.
Obstructive vs. Central Sleep Apnea
Obstructive sleep apnea, the more common form, occurs when the airway becomes physically blocked. Central sleep apnea is different: the airway stays open, but the brain fails to send proper signals for breathing to continue. Identifying which type a person has matters significantly, since treatment approaches differ depending on the underlying cause.
Warning Signs You Shouldn’t Brush Off
Loud or frequent snoring, gasping or choking sounds during sleep, morning headaches, a persistently dry mouth, and daytime fatigue with trouble concentrating are all signs worth taking seriously. If a partner has noticed pauses in breathing during the night, that observation alone is reason enough to seek an evaluation.
How a Dentist Can Help With Sleep Apnea
Many people are surprised to learn that dentists play a meaningful role in treating sleep disorders. Dr. Blackwood can perform an examination and recommend a sleep test to determine the severity of sleep apnea, then build a treatment plan tailored to each patient in coordination with their physician.
Custom Mouthguards: A Comfortable Way to Keep Your Airway Open
Custom-made oral appliances are fitted specifically to each patient’s mouth and worn during sleep. They work by helping keep the airway open so breathing stays steady throughout the night. Comfortable and simple to use, these mouthguards offer a realistic path toward waking up feeling genuinely refreshed.
Ready to Sleep Soundly Again?
Untreated sleep apnea can place real, ongoing stress on the heart, but effective help is available close to home. Residents of Salt Lake City, Murray, West Jordan, and surrounding communities are encouraged to take that first step toward better rest. Call Salt Lake Dental Care’s Murray office today to schedule an exam and sleep test with Dr. Clint Blackwood.
Contact Salt Lake Dental Care – Clint Blackwood, DDS:
801-938-8855
Location (Tap to open in Google Maps):
279 E 5900 S Ste 202
Murray, Utah
84107
