Last updated on October 31st, 2022 at 01:07 pm

Sleep Apnoea is one of the most common Sleep disorders affecting millions of people worldwide.

Around 85% of sufferers don’t know they have Obstructive Sleep Apnoea (OSA), labelling it as chronic snoring, constant tiredness or mood swings. The symptoms of OSA can make getting a good night’s sleep seem impossible.

So, does Sleep Apnoea ever go away? No, unfortunately, it can’t be cured, but it can be treated.

This article will examine why Sleep Apnoea is destructive and how you can treat it. 

Can you die from Sleep Apnoea?

Unfortunately, yes, you can die from Obstructive Sleep Apnoea. 

Death and untreated OSA are closely linked; the severe complications that can develop from leaving the sleep disorder untreated can kill you. 

Sleep Apnoea is when your airway becomes obstructed when you sleep, making it difficult to breathe. Sufferers commonly wake up choking, gasping or snorting as their body fights for oxygen. 

People with severe OSA have up to 40 breathing pauses every hour at night. Consistent oxygen deprivation (hypoxia) can influence the development of other complications, increasing the mortality risk. 

Around 10 million people in the UK alone suffer from Sleep Apnoea.

Risks of Sleep Apnoea

Research has found that untreated Sleep Apnoea is related to several other serious and deadly health conditions. 

When the body is starved of oxygen, it becomes stressed and moves into fight or flight mode. Sleep deprivation causes the heart to work harder.

When you do not treat your sleep disorder, you are not only putting yourself at risk of sleepiness, headaches and mental health complications.

You also put yourself at risk of developing the following:

Type 2 diabetes – Untreated OSA can increase your blood sugar levels, increasing the risk of diabetes. Studies found that those with Sleep Apnoea are at double the risk of diabetes.

Cardiovascular complications – The heart is stressed when Sleep Apnoea is untreated, making it beat faster. Studies have found that untreated OSA puts you at an increased risk of a stroke by 2-3 times and an increased risk of a heart attack by 30%. Another study found that around 60% of people with heart failure had OSA. And patients have four times the risk of developing atrial fibrillation. 

High blood pressure – Also known as hypertension, strains the cardiovascular system (blood circulatory system). Hypertension affects around 30-40% of Sleep Apnoea patients. The untreated breathing pauses caused by OSA make sufferers’ blood pressure dip below 10%. 

Car accidents – Daytime sleepiness is a sign of Sleep Apnoea, making concentrating difficult. Driving without treatment for your sleep disorder puts you and those around you at risk. Road accidents are not uncommon for those with OSA; falling asleep at the wheel is serious and life-threatening. Driving fatigue causes around 10-20% of road crashes; take a sleep test if you could have OSA. 

Sleep Apnoea warning signs

Obstructive Sleep Apnoea may have never crossed your mind, but the symptoms may sound familiar. These include:

• Morning headaches
• Excessive daytime sleepiness
• Mood swings and mental health problems
• A low sex drive
• Choking during sleep
• Poor memory 
• Snoring
• Waking up frequently during the night 
• Waking up with a dry mouth or sore throat

If you experience some or all of these symptoms, you could have OSA. To find out, take a sleep test or sleep study.

They both work the same way, but a private sleep test gives you results in 7 to 10 days. Your results are private to you, and Intus supports you throughout the process. 

Find out more at sleeptest.co.uk

Treating Sleep Apnoea

When Sleep Apnoea is left untreated, it can reduce your life expectancy by 17%. 

But there’s no need to worry; treatment options are available. CPAP therapy is the most widely used, successful treatment method. 

Treating OSA helps sufferers avoid the risk of developing complications and a reduced lifespan. 

Please be aware that treatment for Sleep Apnoea does not cure the disorder; it only helps manage it.

What is CPAP?

CPAP therapy includes a CPAP machine that provides a continuous flow of pressurised air to keep the airway open. The pressurised air is delivered to the user through a tube to a CPAP mask. The machine helps to prevent breathing pauses and lower the apnoea hypopnoea index.

A study of 88,000 people found that using a CPAP machine significantly reduced the risk of all-cause mortality.

To purchase or receive a CPAP machine from the NHS, you will need to have documentation stating you have Sleep Apnoea.

You can learn more about what a CPAP machine does and how it works in our blog. 

Can Sleep Apnoea be cured?

No, there is no cure for Sleep Apnoea. But treatment and lifestyle changes can eliminate all the symptoms.

Lifestyle changes that can help include:

• Losing weight
• Quitting smoking
• Consuming less alcohol
• Treating allergies and congestion to keep the nasal passages open, you could try the SinuPulse nasal irrigator.
• Changing your sleeping position, e.g. sleeping on your side.
• Regularly exercising

Related page: Are there alternatives to CPAP?

Round up

OSA can’t be cured, but there are many effective treatment options.

If you show signs of Sleep Apnoea, take a sleep test to find out if you have the disorder. 

Contact us or visit our FAQS for any help or advice regarding Obstructive Sleep Apnoea.