How OSA and Fibromyalgia are Connected
Sleep apnea is a difficult condition that can affect every area of your life. Not only do you experience disrupted sleep, you also experience excessive daytime drowsiness, memory retention issues, mood swings, and much more while also putting yourself at an increased risk of a host of other serious health conditions. One of those many health conditions is Fibromyalgia. If you suffer from OSA or think you do, it is important to watch out for the signs and symptoms of Fibromyalgia and treat your OSA as quickly as possible. Alternatively, if you already have Fibromyalgia, your OSA symptoms may be making it worse. Keep reading to learn more about the link between Fibromyalgia and OSA and how to get OSA treatment without a CPAP to live a healthier, better life.
Do You Suffer From OSA?
Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is characterized by episodes of a complete airway collapse or a partial collapse with an associated decrease in oxygen saturation or arousal from sleep. This disturbance results in fragmented, nonrestorative sleep. OSA has significant implications for cardiovascular health, mental illness, quality of life, and driving safety. Obstructive sleep apnea is a common condition with significant adverse consequences. Using the definition of 5 or more events per hour,
Some of the shocking facts surrounding OSA include:
- OSA affects almost 1 billion people globally
- 425 million adults between 30 and 69 have moderate to severe OSA (15 or more events per hour).
- In the United States, it has been reported that 25% to 30% of men and 9% to 17% of women meet the criteria for obstructive sleep apnea
- Prevalence is higher in Hispanic, Black, and Asian populations
- Prevalence also increases with age, and when individuals are 50 years or older, and as many women as men develop the disorder
- The increasing prevalence of OSA is related to the rising rates of obesity, ranging between 14% and 55%
- Some risk factors, including obesity and upper airway soft tissue structure, are genetically inherited
Signs and Symptoms of OSA
The most difficult part about OSA is not being aware that you are suffering from it. Most of the hallmark symptoms of OSA happen while you are asleep, making it almost impossible to know whether or not you have it. If you do not have a bed-sharing partner alerting you to signs and symptoms, then you may go through life not having any idea it is wreaking havoc on your body.
Luckily, there are many signs and symptoms that occur while you are awake that you can start noting. If you already have Fibromyalgia, this list can help you determine whether you might be suffering from OSA so that you can possibly improve your Fibromyalgia condition by getting OSA treatment.
- Loud, disruptive snoring
- Witnessed apneas during sleep
- Excessive daytime sleepiness
- Headaches in the morning
- Sore throat or dry mouth after waking up
- Difficulty remembering and concentrating
- Increased need to urinate during the night
- Frequent night awakenings
- Obesity or struggling to lose weight
- Requiring naps or caffeinated beverages throughout the day due to sleepiness
- Difficulty focusing at work or school
- Irritability and mood swings
- Dental issues, such as frequent cavities or gum issues
Fibromyalgia: Your Risks and Things to Watch Out For
Fibromyalgia is a chronic (long-lasting) disorder that causes pain and tenderness throughout the body, as well as fatigue and trouble sleeping. Scientists do not fully understand what causes it, but people with the disorder have an increased sensitivity to pain.
There is no cure for fibromyalgia, but doctors and other healthcare providers can help manage and treat the symptoms. Treatment typically involves a combination of exercise or other movement therapies, psychological and behavioral therapy, and medications.
If you have other diseases, especially rheumatic diseases, mood disorders, or conditions that cause pain, you may be more likely to have fibromyalgia. These diseases include:
- Rheumatoid arthritis
- Systemic lupus erythematosus (commonly called lupus)
- Ankylosing spondylitis
- Osteoarthritis
- Depression or anxiety
- Chronic back pain
- Irritable bowel syndrome
Signs and Symptoms of Fibromyalgia
Understanding the signs and symptoms of Fibromyalgia is helpful for people who already have OSA. This will help you understand what might be happening to your body, indicate that your OSA is worsening your overall health, and that it is time to get OSA treatment to stop the progression of this and any other issues.
The main symptoms of fibromyalgia are:
- Chronic, widespread pain throughout the body or in multiple areas.
- Pain is often felt in the arms, legs, head, chest, abdomen, back, and buttocks.
- People often describe Fibromyalgia pain as aching, burning, or throbbing
- Fatigue or an overwhelming feeling of being tired
- Trouble sleeping
- Muscle and joint stiffness
- Tenderness to touch
- Numbness or tingling in the arms and legs
- Problems with concentrating, thinking clearly, and memory (sometimes called “fibro fog”)
- Increased sensitivity to light, noise, odors, and temperature
- Digestive issues, such as bloating or constipation
How OSA and Fibromyalgia Exacerbate Each Other
In a recent study, here are the facts that were discovered between patients who suffered from both OSA and Fibromyalgia:
- OSAS was detected in 50% of patients with FMS
- The most prominent clinical findings were morning fatigue and sleep disorder, which were similar in three groups
- In polysomnography (PSG) evaluation, patients with FMS had mild (33%), moderate (25%), and severe (42%) OSAS
- In correlation analyses, negative correlations were observed between fibromyalgia impact questionnaire (FIQ) and mean oxygen saturation, visual analogue scale (VAS), and minimum oxygen saturation, whereas a positive correlation was found between FIQ and desaturation times in patients with FMS
As mentioned earlier in this blog, one of the symptoms of Fibromyalgia is difficulty sleeping. OSA makes sleeping very difficult, as people experience frequent awakenings and do not get good quality sleep. Poor sleep quality causes many health effects, and Fibromyalgia is certainly one of them.
In addition, the oxygen quality in the blood has a major impact on Fibromyalgia sufferers. When you breathe through your mouth, as most snorers with OSA do, the quality of oxygen entering the bloodstream is much lower than the good-quality, filtered oxygen that enters the nose.
Other Health Risks Increaased By OSA
If you are suffering from OSA and have yet to treat it, or find that you treatment plan isn’t working for you, it is important to see a sleep apnea specialist as soon as possible. OSA puts you at an increased risk of many health issues that can be easily prevented and avoided with OSA treatment. Even if you have pediatric sleep apnea or severe obstructive sleep apnea, there are options available for you.
Cardiovascular Issues
Repeated night awakenings and pauses in breathing during sleep will trigger your body’s stress response. If this happens every single night for years on end, it will end up causing some severe cardiovascular issues.
Some of the cardiovascular issues caused by OSA include:
- Atrial fibrillation
- Coronary artery disease
- Heart failure
- High blood pressure
- Stroke
Dementia
OSA causes issues with focus, concentration, and memory retention. When you do not get good quality sleep during the night, your brain does not have the chance to rest and recharge. This will undoubtedly cause issues with your brain and could eventually lead to dementia.
After following nearly 8,000 people for 25 years, the study found a higher dementia risk with a “sleep duration of six hours or less at age 50 and 60” compared to those who slept seven hours a night. In addition, persistent short sleep duration between the ages of 50, 60, and 70 was also associated with a “30% increased dementia risk,” independent of “sociodemographic, behavioral, cardiometabolic, and mental health factors,” including depression, the study said.
Lung Cancer
There is a link between OSA and lung cancer, and the prognosis is not good. The pathophysiological processes associated with OSA, such as sleep fragmentation, intermittent hypoxia, and increased sympathetic nervous excitation, may affect normal neuroendocrine regulation, impair immune function (especially innate and cellular immunity), and ultimately contribute to the occurrence of lung cancer, accelerate progression, and induce treatment resistance.
Treat Your OSA and Live a Healthier Life
The good news about OSA is that it is treatable, and you can live a healthy, happy life. Treating OSA is the only way to significantly reduce your risk of cardiovascular issues, dementia, lung cancer, and Fibromyalgia.
First, talk to your doctor about your symptoms. You will then be prescribed a sleep study, which will be used to confirm your diagnosis. After this, give us a call.
OSA Treatment WIthout a CPAP: Why CPAPs Are Dangerous
After being diagnosed with sleep apnea, your doctor will likely want to prescribe a CPAP machine to you. However, you have options. If you speak with a sleep apnea specialist, such as Gorman Health and Wellness, we can help treat your sleep apnea in as little as one year.
- CPAP machines have experienced dangerous recalls that involve choking on parts
- They are bulky and uncomfortable, as they cover your entire face
- Traveling with CPAP machines is almost impossible
- They are loud, which doesn’t offer much relief for your bed-sharing partner
- CPAP machines require frequent cleaning and parts maintenance, which can lead to mold
- They are a bandaid that do not cure your sleep apnea, but rather force air into your airways and your symptoms will return upon stopping use
Prescription for the Vivos Method
Gorman Health and Wellness is one of the few sleep apnea specialists in the area who can prescribe the Vivos Method.
The Vivos Method benefits include:
- Custom to you and your needs
- Works in an average of about 12 months
- Can treat severe cases of obstructive sleep apnea and pediatric sleep apnea
Get OSA Treatment with Gorman Health and Wellness
OSA carries an increased risk of many health issues. Reduce your risk significantly and get OSA treatment that isn’t loud, embarrassing, invasive, or dangerous.
Dr. Gorman is a part of the breathing wellness movement, which aims to increase awareness and improve treatment for sleep-related airway conditions like sleep apnea. He has partnered with organizations focused on collaborating with dentists to apply the sciences of Craniofacial Epigenetics (the study of cranial modifications caused by gene expression as opposed to genetic code alteration) and Pneumopedics® (the practical application of oral appliance therapy and non-surgical airway remodeling) in the management of sleep apnea.
Together, applying these sciences allows for underlying causes of airway obstruction to be treated in 98% of cases, resulting in a high success rate among sleep apnea patients. For every sleep apnea case at our practice, Dr. Gorman will gather patient data and determine the patient’s specific needs based on home sleep test results, dental impressions, CT scans, and images.
Our state-of-the-art technology, paired with Dr. Gorman’s experience with sleep disorders, allows him to find the most effective treatment plan for each individual’s particular case, yielding improved daytime and nighttime breathing for the patient.
“I have been helping people suffering from Sleep Apnea with a non-invasive, clinically approved treatment method. This method has allowed my patients to sleep with far fewer events per hour, allowing them to get rid of their CPAP and BiPAP machines. Imagine not having to use one of those machines, getting back a much greater quality of life along with the benefits of being able to breathe better.” – Dr. Gorman.
