Are you experiencing a constant feeling of exhaustion and grogginess upon waking up? Do you experience frequent headaches, everyday sleepiness, and loud snoring?
If yes, you may have sleep apnea, a condition that affects millions of people worldwide. Sleep apnea is a major sleep issue that can significantly affect your general health and quality of life. Although there are several accessible treatment options, sleep apnea surgery sticks out.
Here, we will discuss how sleep apnea surgery can improve your general health and quality of life by relieving the condition’s symptoms.
What is Sleep Apnea Surgery, and What Are Its Types?
Sleep apnea surgery aims to eliminate or reduce the anatomical factors that cause airway obstruction. The recommended surgical procedure depends on the severity of your sleep apnea, the obstruction’s location, and overall health. It should be customized to each individual’s needs, as it is not a universally applicable solution.
Improving the quality of your sleep and reducing the symptoms of this condition are the two main goals of this surgical procedure. It can help reestablish regular breathing patterns while you sleep by treating the underlying reasons for the obstruction. Better sleep, more energy, and an overall sense of well-being can result from this treatment.
Sleep apnea treatment involves various surgical procedures based on severity and obstruction location. Common types include:
- Uvulopalatopharyngoplasty (UPPP)
- Genioglossus Advancement (GA)
- Hyoid Suspension
- Maxillomandibular Advancement (MMA)
How Sleep Apnea Surgery Can Help You?
Sleep apnea surgery offers various benefits to individuals:
Improved Heart Health
Blood oxygen levels are lowered during sleep apnea. Your natural reaction will be to wake up to restore airflow. Your body releases adrenaline throughout this process. Adrenaline levels can lead to irregular heartbeats, heart disease, and high blood pressure.
Therefore, this surgery can lower the impact of heart-related issues.
Improved Daytime Mental Alertness
Sleep apnea causes daytime fatigue as interrupted sleep hinders the body’s ability to complete its restorative cycle and cellular regeneration. This disease results from poor productivity and a nearly constant sense of fatigue.
However, many patients report improved mental alertness after a few weeks of sleep apnea surgery. Being less sleepy during the day increases your productivity at work and reduces your chance of getting into an accident.
Reduced Risk of Diabetes
Sleep apnea can potentially exacerbate type 2 diabetes by enhancing inflammation and glucose resistance due to oxygen deprivation in glucose metabolism. Additionally, obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) decreases glucose sensitivity and efficacy. Surgery for sleep apnea lowers the risk of type 2 diabetes. It can enhance management in cases where the condition already exists.
Weight Loss Improvement
Insufficient sleep can lead to feeling too tired to engage in physical activity. Additionally, it may cause emotional disturbances and intensify appetites for bigger meals and sweet foods.
Some of these can be linked to decreased leptin, the hormone that causes feelings of fullness after meals. You will have more energy for exercise if you treat the sleep disturbance since it will balance your appetite and satiety hormones.
Stronger Immune System
To fight diseases, your body releases T cells as you sleep. Your body will lose some of that capacity if you have sleep apnea, making you more vulnerable to colds and viruses. Thus, addressing sleep apnea strengthens your immune system.