Do you snore or drool frequently at night and wake up feeling more drained than when you nodded off the night before? If so, you might be suffering from sleep apnea. This disorder interrupts your natural circadian rhythms at night, which can significantly impact your oral and overall health.
For instance, did you know that sleep apnea can potentially impact how quickly your body ages? Continue reading to learn why this sometimes occurs and how your dentist can help!
What is Sleep Apnea?
This condition occurs when your breathing stops and starts repeatedly while you’re snoozing, which prevents your body from successfully completing all the stages of its sleep cycles. There are two main types, and they are:
- Central sleep apnea (CSA). This is less common and happens when your brain doesn’t send the correct signals to the autonomic triggers controlling your inhalations and exhalations.
- Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA). This type is more common and is due to physical blockages, like overly relaxed throat muscles or excessive tissues, that stop you from breathing in and out regularly.
Unfortunately, the interruptions to your breathing can contribute to more serious concerns, like cardiovascular issues, high blood pressure, increased risk of stroke, and type 2 diabetes.
What is Age Acceleration?
Did you know that, according to researchers, your biological age can be slightly different than your chronological age? You likely know how old you are based on the year you were born, but your biological age is based on epigenetic clocks, like DNA methylation patterns that change over time.
These markers can be measured to compare how much your epigenetic age deviates from the chronological age, which can provide valuable insights into your health, like whether you’re at an increased risk of developing certain problems or diseases.
Does Sleep Apnea Speed Up Age Acceleration?
Many environmental and biological factors affect how quickly your body ages. For instance, smoking, poor diet, and exposure to pollution can all potentially have an impact. However, according to one experiment published in 2022, obstructive sleep apnea is also linked to faster epigenetic aging.
For this study, researchers studied 16 adult nonsmokers diagnosed with OSA and compared them to eight control subjects who did not have any symptoms of sleep apnea. Then, they measured the epigenetic age acceleration for all participants over the course of a year. After the initial blood test to establish a baseline, the patients with sleep apnea received a CPAP (continuous positive airway pressure) machine to use for a year before being tested again.
This experiment revealed that patients with OSA suffered from lower oxygen levels that promoted faster biological aging than those in the control group. However, those who regularly used their CPAP machines showed a deceleration.
If you’re concerned that sleep apnea is impacting your health by speeding up your biological aging process, visiting your dentist for treatments can potentially slow or reverse the effects!
About the Practice
At Spring Dentist, patients benefit from two dentists dedicated to helping people improve their lives by enhancing their dental health. Dr. K and Dr. Paal collaborate to provide a comprehensive menu of services to meet all your needs under one roof, including sleep apnea therapies. Their caring approach is paired with state-of-the-art equipment to help you feel comfortable while they deliver accurate, long-lasting results. If you’re eager to get a good night’s rest, you can request an appointment on the website or call (281) 353-9797.