Dizziness & Vertigo
Sleep apnea is a disorder in which the airway becomes clogged during sleeping. It can partially or entirely block airflow, leading a person to have a restless and uncomfortable night’s sleep. Although it is a significant issue, many people are unaware that they are affected. If you have undiagnosed sleep apnea, you may feel tired when you wake up or have daytime sleepiness.
People know that untreated sleep apnea can harm the body in various ways. High blood pressure, heart issues, and an increased risk of type 2 diabetes and metabolic syndrome are all symptoms of sleep apnea. The effects of sleep apnea on the brain, on the other hand, can be just as worrying, with some people experiencing major side effects like dizziness and vertigo.
People commonly confuse and use the terms dizziness and vertigo interchangeably, even though they refer to different things. Dizziness used to be a catch-all term for a variety of symptoms, including vertigo. You may experience a distorted sense of spatial orientation and equilibrium when you feel dizzy. Vertigo, on the other hand, is truly the sensation of self-movement or the movement of your surroundings—it’s literally a spinning sensation.
Can Sleep Apnea Cause Dizziness and Lightheadedness?
For many people, unexplained dizziness is a distressing symptom. Working, doing home tasks, and engaging in many of your favourite pastimes can all be difficult. Dizziness can be caused by a variety of factors, therefore if it is a persistent problem, it should be explored with a doctor. Sleep apnea, on the other hand, is a prevalent cause of dizziness.
You feel lightheaded and disoriented when you are dizzy. Lightheadedness is the part where you feel as if you’re about to pass out.
Those who suffer from sleep apnea and dizziness frequently experience the worst symptoms first thing in the morning. If you wake up disoriented and have to take a few additional moments to get your bearings before you feel stable on your feet and safe to walk, you may be suffering from sleep apnea dizziness. The main cause is the brain being deprived of oxygen during the night. This can make it difficult to transition from laying down to an upright and moving position, as the brain doesn’t work at 100% first thing in the morning.
This lack of oxygen is known as hypoxemia at its most severe levels, and if left untreated, it can progress to hypoxia. Due to a shortage of oxygen, key organs begin to die down while your body is under hypoxia. Hypoxia is a common cause of mortality in aviation accidents involving cabin depressurization, for example. At high elevations, essential organs soon fail due to a lack of air for respiration.
Is sleep apnea linked to dizziness or lightheadedness? Possibly. Do we have a firm grasp on the situation? Regrettably, not quite yet.
Is There a Connection Between Sleep Apnea and Vertigo?
Vertigo is a sort of vertigo that can strike suddenly or develop over time. For some, it manifests as a sensation of spinning, while for others, it feels as if the world around them is moving or unsteady.
The inner ear and balance issues can trigger vertigo, which is caused by a variety of factors. It usually starts with an ear infection or something similar for most people. Anything that affects the brain, on the other hand, can simply transmit to the inner ear. This suggests that sleep apnea, which limits the quantity of quality sleep and oxygen delivered to the brain, could be a factor in the development of vertigo.
Some of you may be asking if there is a link between CPAP therapy and vertigo right now. One of the most prevalent and successful treatments for sleep apnea is CPAP machines. A face mask pumps extra air to open up the airway and boost oxygen flow to the body.
Could this excess air, on the other hand, be generating pressure shifts that cause dizziness or vertigo? Using a CPAP machine can increase ear pressure because positive air pressure is believed to be carried into the middle ear by the eustachian tube, which may lead to potential issues. The eustachian tube is a canal that runs behind the nose from the middle ear to the upper region of the throat.
While air pressure variations have been related to vertigo attacks in persons with ear disorders, it’s difficult to establish whether this is what’s happening when you use your CPAP machine. New CPAP users have noted this, but they also claim that it goes away after a while. If you begin CPAP therapy and notice some new changes in your body, you should speak with your doctor.
Researchers have conducted little research in this area. It’s possible that this is causing your dizziness, but we can’t say for sure.
CPAP Dizzy Spells
While utilizing CPAP therapy, some CPAP users experience dizziness. The mechanism behind this symptom is unknown. Some speculate that this is due to a change in middle ear pressure. If that’s the case, it’ll be a transient symptom as you acclimate to your CPAP therapy.
However, because untreated sleep apnea causes pauses in airflow to the body during sleep, the link could go deeper than merely becoming accustomed to it over time. A collapsed airway (Obstructive Sleep Apnea (OSA)) causes sleep apnea in most people, but in some cases, a brain that doesn’t properly signal the muscles controlling breathing can be the cause. Central sleep apnea (CSA) is the latter, and it accounts for 20% of all sleep apnea cases. It’s also one of the three types of sleep apnea.
Dizziness & Vertigo
This sentence is already in active voice, so there is no need to remove passive voice. Taiwanese researchers have discovered that people with sleep apnea are more likely to experience vertigo than people who do not have sleep apnea.
It’s difficult to determine whether variations in air pressure solely induce vertigo. Despite the fact that the Taiwanese study had a huge sample size, scientists have had difficulty determining what exactly is going on. You may get dizzy as a result of a lack of oxygen in your brain during the night. So far, all we know is that there is a correlation between sleep apnea and dizziness, but the specific nature of that link is unknown.
It has been challenging to identify the exact link between sleep apnea and dizziness as dizziness and vertigo are also related to various other factors, such as the inner ear. For a long time, scientists have been unable to establish those connections. The prevalence of sleep apnea has increased significantly in the last two decades, affecting over 26% of those aged 30-70. As a result, we anticipate increased research into the link between sleep apnea, dizziness, and vertigo. Dizziness & Vertigo
If you suspect sleep apnea is causing lightheadedness and dizziness, consult a doctor for a sleep study. The study measures heart rate, respiration, and blood oxygen content to help determine sleep apnea. Home sleep studies allow taking sleep studies even at home.
Disclaimer
The information provided is for general knowledge only. Consult your doctor for personalized advice and treatment. Medikart HealthCare is not liable for any actions taken based on this info.