{"id":356,"date":"2024-11-01T22:40:51","date_gmt":"2024-11-01T22:40:51","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.bettersleepbaytown.com\/blog\/?p=356"},"modified":"2024-12-26T22:42:57","modified_gmt":"2024-12-26T22:42:57","slug":"blurry-eyed-exhausted-sleep-apnea-vision","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.bettersleepbaytown.com\/blog\/blurry-eyed-exhausted-sleep-apnea-vision\/","title":{"rendered":"Blurry-Eyed and Exhausted: How Sleep Apnea Can Affect Your Vision"},"content":{"rendered":"
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If you experience sleep apnea<\/a>, you might not wake up \u201cbright-eyed and bushy tailed\u201d so much as \u201cblurry-eyed and exhausted.\u201d In a way, that play on expressions is literal. Research shows that the lack of sleep this condition causes can lead to a whole host of general health problems, including damage to your vision.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

To learn more about your risks, keep reading. And don\u2019t worry \u2013 your sleep dentist can help you find treatment!<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

Macular Edema<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Macular edema is characterized by fluid buildup in the retina. The fluid causes the macula (an important part of your retina) to swell, ultimately resulting in distorted vision, light sensitivity, or in severe instances, blindness.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Though sleep apnea doesn\u2019t directly cause macular edema, it has been found to be a contributing factor for diabetic retinopathy. This condition is more common in patients with diabetes (hence the name), but can happen to anyone, and damages blood vessels in the eyes. When left untreated, diabetic retinopathy can lead to macular edema.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In other words, sleep apnea increases your risk for accumulating ocular fluid that could significantly impair your vision.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Glaucoma<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

You might have heard of the term, but not many people know what glaucoma actually is. Basically, it\u2019s a group of eye diseases. Age, family history, ocular injuries, diabetes, and high blood pressure can increase the pressure inside your eye and damage the optic nerve (a nerve that connects your eye to your brain).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Vision loss is typically gradual in glaucoma cases, which can make catching it tricky. Fortunately, eye doctors can routinely check for signs of glaucoma and help you receive timely treatment.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Where sleep apnea comes into play is in how it increases your risk of high blood pressure. High blood pressure is strongly associated with this disease; some studies even recommend screening sleep apnea patients for glaucoma.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Sleep Apnea Treatment<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Treating your sleep apnea can definitely help reduce your odds for developing vision difficulties. CPAP machines are a common solution, but depending on your situation, a sleep dentist may be able to provide you with a more comfortable option: oral appliance therapy. Instead of wearing a CPAP mask at night, you\u2019ll simply insert a custom-designed mouthguard that will help clear your airways for uninterrupted rest.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you\u2019re worried about how your sleep apnea symptoms are affecting your eyesight, don\u2019t forget to discuss your options with your sleep dentist!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

About the Author<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Dr. Dean Hutto<\/a> is a proud member of the American Academy of Dental Sleep Medicine and has an impressive list of experience in the field. He is honored to help patients in Baytown and the surrounding areas rest better and avoid sleep apnea related complications like vision impairment. If you\u2019re looking for sleep apnea treatment, contact<\/a> Dr. Hutto\u2019s office at 281-422-8248.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"If you experience sleep apnea, you might not wake up \u201cbright-eyed and bushy tailed\u201d so much as \u201cblurry-eyed and exhausted.\u201d In a way, that play on expressions is literal. Research shows that the lack of sleep this condition causes can lead to a whole host of general health problems, including damage to your vision. To learn more about your risks, keep reading. And don\u2019t worry \u2013 your sleep dentist can help you find treatment! (Read More)<\/a>","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-356","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.bettersleepbaytown.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/356","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.bettersleepbaytown.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.bettersleepbaytown.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.bettersleepbaytown.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.bettersleepbaytown.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=356"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/www.bettersleepbaytown.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/356\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":358,"href":"https:\/\/www.bettersleepbaytown.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/356\/revisions\/358"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.bettersleepbaytown.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=356"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.bettersleepbaytown.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=356"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.bettersleepbaytown.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=356"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}