How sleep apnea affects blood pressure
                     How sleep apnea affects blood pressure?
Hypertension refers to a condition when the force with which the blood is 
pumped through your vessels is higher than usual. Such people do not typically 
show any symptoms, making diagnosing high BP difficult. Typically, individuals 
realise they are hypertension patients during routine checkups. But, this doesn’t 
mean that you do not need to treat it. Untreated hypertension puts strain on 
your blood vessels, which can lead to heart disease, stroke, and other conditions. 
For those interested in knowing how blood pressure affects sleep apnea, more 
information is given in the following sections. Have a look!
The link between sleep apnea and hypertension
Among the two types of sleep apneas, OSA and CSA, the prior is linked to 
hypertension. Many people suffering from OSA have high blood pressure, and 
the opposite is also true. 
In people who don’t have any sleep disorders or health conditions, the BP 
naturally lowers at night by 10% to 20%. This phenomenon is called blood 
pressure dipping. But, in OSA patients, the dip in the blood pressure is less (fewer 
than 10%). It is indicative of a non-dipping blood pressure pattern. Such people 
are at an increased risk of experiencing cardiovascular issues.
Besides this, OSA patients are said to experience a sudden and pronounced hike 
in BP after waking up in the morning. This surge can be another reason 
responsible for hypertension. 
How sleep apnea causes high BP?
Sleep deprivation puts pressure on the heart. And, OSA in particular, over 
activates the sympathetic nervous system. Basically, it is responsible for 
generating the fight or flight response in the human body. It triggers a series of 
physical reactions like faster heart rate, dilated pupils, high blood pressure, and 
increased metabolism when activated. It helps one in reacting to stressful 
situations. But, people must keep in mind that excessive activation of the 
sympathetic nervous system can mean chronically high BP and poor health.
Now, what happens with sleep apnea patients is that they experience pauses in 
breathing several times through the night. When the airway collapses, the 
sympathetic nervous system in patients gets triggered. The moment breathing 
resumes, their blood pressure registers a spike. This series of paused and 
resumed breathing wakes up a person. After experiencing an apnea episode, 
getting up from sleep can escalate the BP to an even higher degree.
Moreover, a hindrance to sleep because of obstructive sleep apnea causes the 
body to release sympathetic nervous system hormones called catecholamines. 
These are stress hormones released by the adrenal glands. Some examples of 
these hormones are dopamine and epinephrine. Their high levels can cause a 
spike in blood pressure.
How does sleep apnea treatment affect BP?
Getting treated for sleep apnea improves sleep quality and improves blood 
pressure. So, using methods like oral appliances, CPAP therapy, physical exercises, 
and making lifestyle changes is recommended.
So, this is how sleep apnea is linked with high blood pressure. Both the 
conditions are interrelated and influence each other.
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