{"id":1291,"date":"2021-12-20T18:37:00","date_gmt":"2021-12-20T18:37:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.lrfamilydentalcare.com\/blog\/?p=1291"},"modified":"2022-04-20T18:44:32","modified_gmt":"2022-04-20T18:44:32","slug":"sleep-apnea-therapy-and-brain-health","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.lrfamilydentalcare.com\/blog\/sleep-apnea-therapy-and-brain-health\/","title":{"rendered":"Can Sleep Apnea Affect Your Brain Health? \u2013 Why Therapy is Essential"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
\"Man<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

When people think of sleep apnea, they tend to think of restless nights and incredibly loud snoring, but these aren\u2019t the only issues you can experience. If you have sleep apnea, you may also carry a higher risk for other long-term problems related to your overall health. This includes cardiovascular complications like heart disease and stroke. However, did you know that sleep apnea can have an impact on your brain health as well? Keep reading to learn more about this connection and how sleep apnea therapy<\/a> can make a difference.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

How Sleep Apnea Affects the Brain Directly<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Researchers at UCLA found that untreated sleep apnea can cause the blood brain barrier (or BBB) to become more permeable. This crucial immunological component of the central nervous system essentially acts as a roadblock for harmful organisms that can circulate through the bloodstream. Compromised function of the BBB can increase the risk of stroke, epilepsy, meningitis, multiple sclerosis, Alzheimer\u2019s disease, and other systemic diseases.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Furthermore, they found that sleep apnea appears to change the shape of the brain. Specifically, they focused on the mammillary bodies (which are structures essential to memory storage) and found that those with sleep apnea had structures that were 20% smaller than those without the condition.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Other studies have shown that those with sleep apnea were found to have decreased gray and white matter in certain areas of the brain. As a result, researchers concluded that the condition could be responsible for many day-to-day symptoms.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Sleep Apnea Side Effects Related to the Brain<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

While it\u2019s clear that sleep apnea affects brain health, it\u2019s important to understand what symptoms to look out for other than just snoring (which does not necessarily confirm the presence of sleep apnea in all cases). Some of the most common side effects that can occur include the following:<\/p>\n\n\n\n