Weaker Bones - A Cause for Obstructive Sleep Apnea

Introduction

Obstructive sleep apnea, which is defined by breathing problems while people sleep, can result in inflammation, oxidative stress, shorter breathing patterns, hypoxia (low oxygen levels in the body), and shortened breathing patterns. Any of these signs might have a long-term detrimental impact on bone metabolism and, eventually, bone density. The findings are important for people with sleep apnea because low bone-mineral density is a sign of osteoporosis, a disorder in which bones weaken and fracture easily. Adults with obstructive sleep apnea may have poor bone mineral density. Low bone mineral density affects oral health by causing teeth to become loose and dental implants to fail, in addition to raising the risk of fractures. Low bone mineral density (BMD) and an increased risk of osteoporosis are linked to sleeping for five hours or less every night.

What Is Obstructive Sleep Apnea?

• Breathing periodically stops for 10 seconds or more while individuals are asleep, which is a prevalent and life-threatening illness known as sleep apnea.

• Less oxygen in the blood due to the illness might periodically wake individuals throughout the night.

• Respiratory issues during sleep have a significant negative impact on the brain and other organ functions, including the skeletal system, particularly the bones, as well as cardiovascular, neurologic, endocrine, and mental diseases.

• Obstructive and central sleep apnea are the two types of sleep apnea.

  1. When there is an issue with the mechanics of breathing, people get obstructive sleep apnea or OSA.

  2. Instead of being a mechanical issue, central sleep apnea (CSA) results from improper brain signals to the muscles. As a result, people momentarily stop breathing or breathe too softly, which prevents them from getting enough oxygen.

What Are the Consequences of Sleep Apnea?

• The effects of irregular nocturnal breathing as well as the daytime repercussions of poor sleep quality are both sleep apnea symptoms.

  • Excessive drowsiness during the day.

  • Loud snoring is frequently combined with choking or gasping noises.

  • Morning headaches that might last for several hours after waking up.

  • Dry tongue when they wake up.

  • Periods of intermittent alertness and restless sleep during the night.

  • Increased need to get out of bed to use the bathroom.

  • Decreased concentration.

• It is impossible to identify obstructive sleep apnea only based on symptoms because many of them might also be brought on by other medical conditions.

• The skeletal system can be harmed by persistent sleep interruptions brought on by obstructive sleep apnea.

Why Do Bones Begin to Weaken?

• To build and maintain strong bones, the body needs the minerals calcium, and phosphate.

• The body keeps making new bone and reabsorbing old bone throughout its lifetime. The whole skeleton has to be replaced around every 10 years, however, as people age, this process becomes slower.

• The bones continue to be strong and healthy as long as the body maintains a balanced balance of new and old bone.

• When new bone is not produced at the same rate as old bone, bone loss occurs.

• Unknown causes can occasionally lead to bone loss. Everyone has bone loss as they age.

• As people become older, the body could reabsorb calcium and phosphate from their bones rather than maintaining them there. The result is weaker bones.

• Osteoporosis is the name given to this process when it reaches a specific level. A person frequently fractures a bone before they even realize they are losing bone mass.

What Is the Connection Between Low Bone Mineral Density and Obstructive Sleep Apnea?

• The list of harmful effects of inadequate sleep now includes the possibility that sleep hurts bone health.

• It is also a reminder to work toward getting the seven or more hours of sleep each night that is advised for both physical and emotional well-being.

• The body goes through a variety of beneficial activities during sleeping, including bone remodeling, which involves the removal of old bone tissue and the formation of new bone tissue.

• A rhythm exists throughout the day. One reason why people could be getting less sleep is that their bones are not rebuilding properly.

• Lack of oxygen, which triggers certain regulatory factors that promote bone resorption activity, is one of the most important causes. Moreover, it causes respiratory distress and oxidative stress, both of which accelerate bone resorption.

• The circadian system, which OSA's sleep fragmentation has an impact on, controls the release of leptin and melatonin.

• Additional OSA co-morbidities such as vitamin D insufficiency, hypogonadism, obesity, and insulin resistance have an indirect impact on bone mineral density (BMD).

• To develop preventative measures for osteoporosis, one needs to focus more on the connection between sleep apnea and bone health.

Does Sleep Apnea Have a Treatment?

1. Although there is no known treatment for sleep apnea, research has shown that some lifestyle choices can reverse or lessen the severity of the condition.

2. The disease can potentially be reversed by other medical or surgical procedures. While people sleep, the upper airway muscles relax, which causes sleep apnea.

3. As a result, they do not breathe sufficiently. While sleep apnea may be corrected with significant weight reduction, symptoms are often improved with therapy.

4. As people sleep, dental appliances can help keep the airway open. Devices are frequently made to move the lower jaw forward or, less frequently, to keep the tongue in its proper position.

5. These can be made by trained dentists with specialized training in treating sleep apnea. Meditation and certain breathing techniques from yoga can help improve conditions connected to sleep apnea.

6. However, further research is required by specialists to completely comprehend this connection.

Conclusion

Many harmful health issues, such as obesity, diabetes, hypertension, and cardiovascular disease are associated with poor sleep. Individuals should have control over when they put their phones down and turn the lights down. Healthy eating and exercise are both crucial for maintaining bone health.BMD declines as OSA becomes more severe. In addition, the study found that becoming older and having a higher BMI are risk factors for developing OSA. Thus, there is an increase in the risk for osteoporosis as the population ages and the frequency of obesity grows. As a result, it is critical to investigate the association between these two increasingly frequent illnesses, understand the biological mechanisms, and implement suitable screening and therapies to reduce the incidence associated with OSA to benefit patients.