{"id":146,"date":"2019-11-20T20:42:50","date_gmt":"2019-11-20T20:42:50","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.friendswooddental.com\/blog\/?p=146"},"modified":"2019-12-03T20:47:36","modified_gmt":"2019-12-03T20:47:36","slug":"the-connection-between-sleep-apnea-and-type-2-diabetes","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.friendswooddental.com\/blog\/the-connection-between-sleep-apnea-and-type-2-diabetes\/","title":{"rendered":"The Connection Between Sleep Apnea and Type 2 Diabetes"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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If you have been diagnosed with type 2 diabetes, you likely do\nyour best to eat right, exercise regularly, and see your doctor for regular\ncheckups. But are you also monitoring the quality of your sleep? You should be\naware of the connection between sleep apnea and type 2 diabetes because, as a\ntype 2 diabetic, you are much more likely than the general population to suffer\nfrom sleep apnea. Together, these two conditions can lead to devastating\nconsequences. Let\u2019s talk about how you can stop them from ruining your health.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

Complications of Diabetes and Sleep Apnea<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Sleep apnea is a disorder wherein the soft tissues in the\nthroat block the airway at night, thus hindering a person\u2019s breathing and leading\nto greatly decreased sleep quality. Sleep apnea has a strong correlation to\nmany systemic conditions, including cardiovascular disease, chronic fatigue,\nand elevated blood glucose levels. Left untreated, sleep apnea can contribute\nto the development of diabetes. If diabetes already exists, high blood sugar\nlevels can interrupt the sleep cycle and further decrease the quality of a\nperson\u2019s sleep.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Why the Connection?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Diabetes and sleep apnea can have a direct effect on one another,\nbut often, they reason they both exist is due to a completely different factor:\nobesity. While either condition can develop in individuals with a healthy BMI,\nthey are more common in overweight and obese individuals. A poor diet may lead\nto obesity and diabetes. The increased weight and body fat of obese individuals\ncontributes to a large neck circumference and more visceral fat (fat around the\norgans). The extra weight can cause the soft tissues in the throat and mouth to\ncollapse, leading to the pauses in breathing that define sleep apnea.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Do You Have Sleep Apnea?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Everyone should be aware of the risk of sleep apnea, but if\nyou are diabetic, you should be especially so. If the answer to two or more of\nthe following questions is yes, you likely do have sleep apnea:<\/p>\n\n\n\n