As we know, sleep apnea causes a whole host of symptoms, including daytime fatigue and insomnia, poor concentration and attention span, memory problems, irritability, loss of libido, headaches and difficulty performing work duties and everyday tasks. Untreated sleep apnea can increase your risk of a whole host of medical problems, including high blood pressure, poor blood flow to the heart, heart failure, heart attack and pulmonary hypertension. However, even treated sleep apnea can cause some side effects, and it’s important that you understand these side effects so that you are prepared for them. Different treatment options will cause different symptoms in different patients, and some of these are listed below.
Mandibular Advancement Device Side Effects
Treatment with an MAD can cause a number of very common side effects, most of which are not particularly harmful but that can be very annoying. Due to the dental device being kept in a certain position all night, in turn holding your mouth in a certain position all night, a dry mouth and throat is very common as is excessive salivation. Tooth discomfort is also very common and is experienced in over half of the patients treated with an MAD, but this discomfort often remains just that; discomfort. However, in some cases, patients will experience tooth movement, meaning that follow-up treatment at the dentist may be required to move the teeth back into their original positions. Some patients have stated that they developed overbites or under bites after treatment with an MAD, but this can be rectified with a brace.
Although CPAP is life-saving, it can have a number of side effects that can range from moderate to severe. Some patients will only experience side effects for the first few weeks of treatment whilst other patients will experience some side effects throughout the course of treatment – whether you do or not will depend on a number of things, including the pressure settings on your machine, the type of mask you’re wearing and the type of machine you’re using. Common side effects of a CPAP machine include nasal congestion and a dry nose caused by there being a lack of moisture in the air that you’re breathing in. This problem can extend to you having dry eyes in the morning as well as a dry nose, but luckily this can be solved with the use of a humidifier. You could also find that the mask and straps irritate your face, causing a rash or a red appearance. Help to prevent this happening by washing your mask every week or so, replacing all accessories as soon as they need to be replaced, and by moisturizing your face before putting the mask on, just to prevent it rubbing the skin. CPAP has also been known to cause severe stomach pain, caused by air from the CPAP in your stomach which can cause cramps and lower belly pain. This is normal, although it can be very painful – treat it with painkillers and anti-bloating tablets.
Another common side effect of CPAP is waking up with a headache. This is thought to be from a combination of the pressure from the mask and the position you’re forced to sleep in, and can be treated with painkillers or a reduced pressure on your mask and machine.
Very rarely, a pressure that is too high on a CPAP machine can cause sickness and a strong feeling of vertigo – although this side effect is not widely known about, it has been mentioned by a few patients on the CPAP forums so this is something to keep in mind. To avoid such a side effect, start at a low pressure and work up to a high pressure if that’s what your treatment requires.