{"id":536,"date":"2023-03-17T17:33:30","date_gmt":"2023-03-17T17:33:30","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.weatherfordsleep.com\/blog\/?p=536"},"modified":"2023-04-21T17:39:28","modified_gmt":"2023-04-21T17:39:28","slug":"sleep-apnea-and-rheumatoid-arthritis","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.weatherfordsleep.com\/blog\/2023\/03\/17\/sleep-apnea-and-rheumatoid-arthritis\/","title":{"rendered":"How Rheumatoid Arthritis and Sleep Apnea Can Be Connected"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Around 57 percent of people with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) also struggle with insomnia. At first glance, you might think this is purely a result of joint pain making it more difficult to fall asleep. But while discomfort can definitely be a factor, insomnia could also be a symptom of sleep apnea<\/a> \u2013 which can be more closely related to RA than you might think. Here are the facts behind this surprising relationship.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

What are Rheumatoid Arthritis and Sleep Apnea?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

RA is a condition where you experience pain and inflammation in your joints. It commonly occurs in the hands and feet, but any joint in the body can potentially be affected.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Sleep apnea is a common sleep disorder where breathing is frequently being interrupted, usually due to airway blockage. These interruptions cause you to wake up multiple times throughout the night, which means you don\u2019t get enough quality sleep.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What is the Connection Between Rheumatoid Arthritis and Sleep Apnea?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

A study published in the journal BMJ Open<\/em> found that people with RA had a 75% higher incidence rate of sleep apnea compared to people without RA. The exact reasons why haven\u2019t been determined yet, but there are a number of theories:<\/p>\n\n\n\n