Getting a good night’s sleep is crucial to staying healthy. Unfortunately, many people cut back on sleep due to lifestyle choices. This can lead to a number of serious health issues.
Did you know that sleeping too little can increase your risk of hearing loss? After all, having an unstable sleeping schedule causes cardiovascular problems. You probably know that cardiovascular issues are linked to hearing loss.
Hence, getting a healthy amount of sleep can protect your hearing. But there is another concern you should keep in mind.
Sleep Apnea and the Risk of Hearing Loss
A study has found that people with sleep apnea are likelier to suffer from hearing damage.
This study had 13,967 subjects. Around 10% of them had moderate or severe sleep apnea. So what did the researchers find?
People who have sleep apnea are considerably more likely to have hearing impairments. This applies to both low frequency and high-frequency hearing loss.
Explaining the Connection
So why does sleep apnea put you at risk of hearing loss?
Sleep apnea makes it extremely difficult to sleep through the night. You simply cannot fall into a deep sleep if you have this disorder. It also tends to wake you up several times during the night.
Hence, sleep apnea leads to blood pressure problems and cardiovascular concerns. This can damage the way your inner ear gets its blood supply.
Furthermore, sleep apnea comes loud snoring. It can expose you to loud noise when you’re supposed to be resting. Thus, it is clear why
A Final Word
Since sleep apnea can damage your overall health, it’s important to get treatment as soon as possible. CPAP machines are one way to treat this disorder.
Unfortunately, some of these machines can be loud. But your doctor might be able to help you find a noiseless CPAP machine. Hearing protection is also a good option.