We all know that the body is a vastly complicated set of inter-connected biological systems, and that the function (or malfunction) of one part is likely to affect the whole. Here’s another example, pertinent to our concerns. If you suffer from Sleep Apnea, you may be at risk of developing a number of eye problems.
First of these would be the rather unthreateningly-named ‘floppy eyelid syndrome.’ This is actually a degeneration of the muscles of the eyelid, rather than the eye proper, which can be uncomfortable, and lead to problems with stickiness in the eye. The relationship between it and Sleep Apnea is not widely understood, but the condition is thought to be related to spikes in blood pressure, which OSA can create. Studies have suggested that if you have floppy eyelid syndrome, you are over 90% likely to be suffering from Sleep Apnea.
Less closely correlated is the more commonly known condition Glaucoma, which is a disease which causes progressive damage to the optic nerve and degenerative loss of sight. It’s poetically known as the ‘sneak thief of sight’ because it isn’t always caught in the early stages. The correlation with Sleep Apnea is about 20 to 57 percent, and once again there isn’t any evidence of a direct causal relationship between the two. What studies seem to have shown, however, is that if you have one of either Glaucoma or Sleep Apnea, you are at an elevated risk of the other.
What does this mean?
Well, it’s a good example of what we generally know- if you have Sleep Apnea, then it’s a good indicator of the fact that you need to do something about it, before your wider health starts to suffer!
Comments on this entry are closed.