How Sleep Apnea Affects Your Heart

Sleep apnea is a condition that causes you to stop breathing for ten or more seconds during sleep. This cessation of breathing leads the patient to repeatedly wake from sleep, which often causes daytime exhaustion, difficulty concentrating, and the other commonly known side effects of sleep apnea. What many people don’t know is how the body wakes you from sleep to restart breathing. The body is awoken through a panic response that elevates blood pressure and places strain on the heart. Keep reading to learn a little more about sleep apnea and how it impacts your cardiovascular health.
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