Sleep apnea is not a simple condition even though it may seem harmless at first. It can carry various health risks that may put your overall health in danger. To learn about sleep apnea is to understand how to avoid it.
So, can sleep apnea cause migraines? Yes, sleep apnea can cause migraines due to disrupted sleep which may result in sleep deprivation and dysfunctional brain activity that leads to headaches or migraines.
When you are having a sleep apnea attack, the air will be trapped in your lungs and eventually becomes a de-oxygenated air which is also called as carbon dioxide.
The carbon dioxide will eventually build up and circulate in the bloodstream which will end up affecting the brain since there is a lack of oxygenated air going up to your brain.
An increased amount of carbon dioxide is not good for our body since it causes the blood vessels within and around the head to expand and cause headaches or migraines.
Imagine a car running out of “fuel”, it will not be able to function well and you will end up stopping. Without air, your brain will suffer and leads to headaches.
On top of that, since your brain is unable to receive the right amount of air it needs, the brain might force you to wake up for a brief moment and cause you to gasp for air.
This can happen without you noticing, but every second will disrupt your body’s system since when we are asleep, our muscles should be relaxing.
However, since the brain is not getting sufficient air, our body cannot relax which also explains why having sleep apnea causes people to wake up feeling tired since they could not get a proper good night’s rest.
Not having a good night’s rest will also definitely lead to migraines the moment we wake up.
We may not be aware that we’re not able to sleep peacefully at night and that can get annoying since we also tend to feel irritable later on. It’s important to get checked and cure the problem, so read on to learn how to!
How to cure sleep apnea and avoid migraines
Even though it is possible that the migraine is caused by a completely different factor, if the patient is properly diagnosed with sleep apnea, it is more important to treat it since it can turn risky any moment.
See these existing treatments that can help you get rid of sleep apnea that may cause or worsen migraines.
- Rapid Maxillary Expansion
- For children with obstructive sleep apnea. This process places an expandable brace on the roof of the mouth that increases the width of the upper jaw (maxilla).
- Over time, parents can adjust the brace using a special key to increase the amount of pressure for the teeth.
- Jaw Advancement Surgery
- For teenagers and adults. This process will surgically break the jaw bones, moved forward and then fixed properly with screws and plates and will change the person’s facial structure or profile.
- It might take months to recover.
- CPAP Machine Treatment
- Works for any age. Stands for “Continuous Positive Airway Pressure device”
- The person diagnosed will have to use a mask connected to a machine that will force air to the obstructed airway from the oropharyngeal.
- The mask placed over the mouth or nose will blow air into the airway to help keep it open during sleep. Highly recommended and proven effective by a majority of sleep apnea patient.
- Surgical Airway Advancement
- Similar to the 2nd example. Bones of the upper and lower jaw will be repositioned in a way that will relieve airway obstruction.
Even though children may not be prone to migraines yet, letting the sleep apnea develop and be carried into adulthood will definitely expose them to risk of migraines so as early as possible, fix the problem.
When sleep apnea and migraines are ignored
If you are aware that you may have sleep apnea that causes migraines, the scary part of ignoring any of two is the risk of brain damage or worse, death.
Honestly, there are a lot of people who ignore their medical health which is not good since conditions like sleep apnea do not go away by itself. If sleep apnea is not treated, there are a lot of risks. See the list below.
- Heart failure
- May lead to fatal conditions such as brain damages or even death
- Heart attack
- Can also be severely threatening
- Irregular heartbeat
- Worsens the ability to breathe
- Can trigger anxiety
- Stroke
- Can leave permanent damage
- May lead to paralysis
- Depression
- Not an easy condition to treat
- Diabetes
- Leaves you prone to more heart attacks
- High Blood Pressure
- Aside from your physical health, this can also affect your mental health and relationship with people around you including your work
- Increases ADHD
- Sleep apnea reduces your ability to focus which is what happens when you have ADHD (Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder)
- Having a lack of control to focus can lead to frustration
- Headaches
- You may wake up with a bad headache which will lead to other problems listed here
- Lack of daily energy
- As mentioned, your energy will be reduced since you are unable to sleep well.
- Seizures
- Sleep apnea patients are more prone to seizures during sleep compared to epilepsy patients without sleep apnea.
The thing is, sleep apnea, if left untreated or worsened by other factors, can lead to death. Its risks can be fatal and leave permanent damage or terrible pain such as migraines which is what we are trying to avoid.
If diagnosed with sleep apnea, one must consider treating the problem as soon as possible in order to prevent any unwanted scenarios related to your health.
What are the signs of sleep apnea that can cause migraines
One of the most common ways to identify sleep apnea is by conducting a “sleep study” wherein the patient will have to stay in a center where doctors and nurses would be observing their sleeping habits.
Not
only the sleeping behavior, but other factors that could be a sign of
sleep apnea as well. Here’s a list of sleep apnea signs to watch out for
if you are not ready to go for a sleep study yet.
- Heavy snoring
- Maybe, it can be a sign of fatigue but snoring loudly and usually can be a sign of sleep apnea.
- Gasping for air during sleep
- The feeling of drowning without knowing it and suddenly you’re out of air.
- Insomnia
- Having trouble going to sleep because you have breathing problems that you may not notice
- Hypersomnia
- Having trouble staying awake in the morning because you were unable to sleep well due to your sleep apnea
- Waking up with a headache
- Sleep apnea can disturb your body’s “charging” state. Since you can’t sleep well, your body will use energy for means that can help you breathe which may lead to headaches.
- Waking up with a dry mouth
- With sleep apnea, the person tends to snore and keep their mouth open when gasping for air which leads to a dried up mouth once we awaken.
- Decreased ability to focus
- Sleep apnea can give lack of sleep which will also result in difficulty to focus on anything
- Feeling uncomfortable
- Your lack of energy due to sleep apnea can make you feel uncomfortable and irritable without your knowledge
- Suddenly stop breathing during sleep
- Your housemates should notice this and tell you about it. Sleep apnea can disrupt breathing that may last for up to 10 seconds which is already risky.
There are three types of sleep apnea that you may be diagnosed with.
- Obstructive sleep apnea
- The most common sleep apnea that can be present in all ages. When the breathing is obstructed due to various factors, is it because of obstructive sleep apnea which may require surgery
- Central sleep apnea
- When your brain fails to send the proper signals to your body to command it to “breathe”, it is because of central sleep apnea
- Complex sleep apnea syndrome
- This is the combination of the first two sleep apneas and also poses higher risks than a normal obstructed sleep apnea.
- It may also be more difficult to treat this not knowing the major cause of the condition
What other factors can make sleep apnea worsen migraines
There are plenty of factors that can make sleep apnea worse and thus, worsen migraine itself. This list will give you an idea on what potentially causes your sleep apnea and migraines that can help you avoid it.
- Obesity
- Can make breathing difficult even while asleep or not moving
- Hypothyroidism
- The condition wherein your body does not produce enough thyroid hormones, which is needed to control how to use energy received from food through metabolism. Bad metabolism can affect heartbeat and breathing.
- Acromegaly
- Opposite of hypothyroidism, acromegaly produces too much growth hormones which can affect your overall health including breathing.
- Allergies
- There are certain allergies that can worsen sleep apnea. Allergies that result with difficulty in breathing are the likes.
- Having an allergic reaction can increase the risk of sleep apnea and worsen migraines.
- Smoking cigarettes
- Excessive smoking can cause sleep apnea or worsen it
- Smoking can damage your body which may make it harder to function or relax properly, increasing the risk of sleep apnea and migraines.
- Drinking liquor
- Too much liquor and drinking before going to sleep can cause sleep apnea.
- Getting drunk and then sleeping causes sleep apnea but if it doesn’t, the person can wake up with a “hang over” and feel the migraine. Both can happen which is more dangerous.
- Drug usage
- Sedations or other types of drugs especially when being abused can result in sleep apnea or worse.
- Certain drugs, medications or such can worsen migraines
- Being male
- Observations reveal that males tend to have sleep apnea more than females which means they might be more prone to migraines as well
- Being old
- Observations also revealed that older adults are more prone to sleep apnea than younger ones due to more complicated health issues that may trigger sleep apnea
Other natural causes of sleep apnea can be a thick neck, narrow throat and having a round head. Avoid triggering your allergies or get medications for other conditions to cure your sleep apnea.
Related Questions
Are headache and migraine the same?
Headache and migraines are not the same thing, but it does have one similar trait: causing pain in the brain. Headaches are more common compared to migraines.
With migraines, you can experience “throbbing” in your head and feeling dizziness that worsens when moving around. Headaches, on the other hand, are known to be more “steady” and does not worsen while moving.
What does a sleep apnea headache feel like?
A sleep apnea headache is a migraine-like headache with mild throbbing, mild dizziness and slight irritation or mood changes.
Unlike a regular headache that is more steady, sleep apnea headaches can be changing.
