About Diabetes

Diabetes is a common medical condition that can affect patients of all ages. It occurs when the pancreas fails to produce adequate amounts of insulin, or if the body does not respond to insulin. This results in elevated blood sugar levels in the body. There are several types of diabetes, and most are chronic. However, diabetes can be properly managed with medications, lifestyle changes, or a combination of both.

The Relationship Between Sleep Apnea and Diabetes

When you have sleep apnea, you experience repeated interruptions in your breathing throughout the night. During these pauses, carbon dioxide in the blood increases, leading to a number of issues, such as:

• Insulin resistance
• Increase in blood sugar levels
• Heightened blood pressure
• Increased risk of cardiovascular issues, such as heart disease
• Headaches, especially in the morning

How Sleep Apnea Impacts Diabetes Management

Managing diabetes usually requires individuals to regularly monitor their blood sugar levels, take medication as prescribed, consume a healthy diet, and engage in frequent exercise. When your blood sugar levels fluctuate due to the effects of sleep apnea, it can cause some individuals to feel ill. Additionally, the daytime sleepiness and mood swings associated with sleep apnea can lead to a lack of motivation to prepare nutritious meals or exercise, all of which can be detrimental to the management of diabetes. Diabetes complications may begin to occur, leading to serious health problems.

Tips for Managing Your Sleep Apnea

If you suspect you have sleep apnea, management begins with an evaluation. If you are diagnosed with the condition, experts can provide recommendations for treatment, such as customized mouthguards available at TMJ & Airway Associates.

Sleep Apnea Treatment New Jersey

Our doctors understand that managing diabetes can be difficult, and the presence of a sleep disorder can further complicate things. However, patients can take proactive steps toward improving overall health by seeking treatments from compassionate, qualified providers, such as Dr. Ivan Stein and Dr. Allan Stein. To learn more about treatment for your sleep apnea, contact our New Jersey location to schedule an appointment.

The post Sleep Apnea Can Make Managing Your Diabetes More Difficult appeared first on TMJ & Airway Associates.

At first glance, this disorder may seem far out of the scope for TMJ & Airway Associates. Unfortunately, however, diabetes and sleep apnea share several links, making it important for patients and doctors to be aware of the risks.

The Overlapping Risk Factors

The primary unifying link between the two health conditions is obesity. When fat accumulates in the respiratory tract, it diminishes the airway, making breathing more difficult, which can cause sleep apnea. Excess weight can also be responsible for developing an insulin resistance, which causes diabetes. Many patients discover they have developed both problems after becoming obese.

Other risk factors that sleep apnea and type 2 diabetes have in common are older age, heart disease and high blood pressure.

Having One Can Lead to the Other

Further demonstrating how interconnected sleep apnea and diabetes are, doctors have found that either one can be a path to the other. Patients with obstructive sleep apnea are significantly more likely to develop diabetes later. Likewise, about half of all patients with type 2 diabetes develop sleep apnea.

Moreover, patients with both conditions may see their symptoms aggravated. For example, having sleep apnea can make type 2 diabetes more difficult to manage by elevating glucose levels. Sleep deprivation causes blood sugar spikes. This also increases a person’s risk for stroke, high blood pressure and heart disease.

Know the Symptoms

This two-way street between sleep apnea and diabetes means that patients with either health condition should be vigilant for signs of the other. Since both disorders can go undetected for long stretches of time, here are a few things to keep an eye out for:

Sleep Apnea

• Excessive snoring
• Daytime tiredness
• Trouble breathing while sleeping
• Dry mouth and headaches in the morning

Type 2 Diabetes

• Persistent thirst and hunger
• Fatigue
• Frequent urination
• Blurry vision

Seek Treatment for Sleep Apnea

Hopefully, knowing that sleep apnea may also lead to type 2 diabetes is a motivator for you to seek treatment for the sleep disorder before your health grows even worse. Dr. Ivan Stein and Dr. Allan Stein can help you to manage your sleep apnea with an oral appliance. Achieving restful sleep may be just the trick to keep your diabetes under control or prevent it from developing altogether. For a consultation with TMJ & Airway Associates, please call (855) 949-7667.

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