Can E-Cigarettes Make Your Sleep Apnea Symptoms Worse?

Nearly 20 years ago, an advertising campaign began that directly challenged the tobacco industry. It involved television, radio and billboard ads that spoke to the dangers of smoking cigarettes. It could be argued that the anti-smoking movement gave birth to e-cigarettes (vaping) as an alternative to burning tobacco. Is this new way of inhaling nicotine really better, though? There’s evidence that it, too, presents some health challenges, one being that it can contribute to sleep apnea in Aledo. Read on to learn about the connection and the danger of not getting adequate rest.

How Vaping Works

A vape is a cartridge or pod that contains nicotine and other chemicals in liquid form. When they’re heated, they produce an aerosol that makes it possible to inhale the chemicals and get the same sensation as burning tobacco. Normal combustion, which many people consider to be the sole contributor to health problems related to smoking, are eliminated with e-cigarettes. Thus, this novel way of smoking has gained in popularity.

What is Sleep Apnea?

Sleep apnea refers to frequent lapses in breathing throughout the night. Each interruption triggers the brain to send a distress signal that breaks rest so that oxygen can flow properly again. It’s not unheard of for this to happen dozens – if not hundreds – of times during a normal sleep cycle. Thus, a person can be left feeling completely exhausted the next day.

People suffering from sleep apnea are more vulnerable to developing hypertension, diabetes, heart disease and stroke. Therefore, it’s not an issue that should be ignored.

The Relationship Between Vaping and Sleep Apnea

While vaping provides a modified delivery method, it shouldn’t be overlooked that it still contains nicotine, which is one of the key chemicals that contributes to tobacco addiction. The following shows how the nicotine in vaping products can contribute to sleep apnea:

• Nicotine heightens mental alertness and increases adrenaline production, which raises heart and breathing rates, and elevates blood pressure.
• It’s harder to get into the deepest stage of sleep, which is REM (rapid eye movement). That’s because there can be withdrawal symptoms from lack of nicotine that interrupt the body’s natural circadian rhythm.
• Nicotine usage causes inflammation of the nose, throat and lungs, which can further contribute to nighttime breathing issues.

Getting Healthier

The first step to getting healthier is to discontinue the use of any tobacco products, but that alone, can’t reverse sleep apnea. If you’ve noticed daytime lethargy, morning throat soreness or headaches, lost libido or inability to concentrate, then you may be suffering from some form of sleep apnea.

To get a proper diagnosis, you can start by taking an at-home sleep test provided by a local sleep dentist. Then, you can move forward with receiving the expert care needed to get the rest your mind and body desperately need.

About the Author

Dr. Deborah A. Romack is a graduate of Baylor College of Dentistry. She has received additional post graduate training in airway obstruction, snoring, Obstructive Sleep Apnea (OSA) and upper airway resistance syndrome (UARS). Dr. Romack combines her vast knowledge and years of experience with the latest in dental technology to effectively treat sleep apnea at Weatherford Dental Sleep Medicine, and she can be reached for more information through her website.