The Link Between Sleep Apnea and Rheumatoid Arthritis
The Link Between Sleep Apnea and Rheumatoid Arthritis
As technology, medicines, and other medical devices and supplies progress, more and more connections between various health conditions are being made by researchers today. As researchers and medical professionals have gained a better understanding of how and why certain medical conditions develop in patients, they begin to see certain trends yielding the same results. A simple yet accurate example of such a phenomenon includes the link between obesity and diabetes, or sleep deprivation and depression. From time to time though, the connections aren’t always so easily seen. Such was the case in a research effort originally published on April 30th, 2009, looking into the connection between rheumatoid arthritis and sleep apnea.
On April 30th 2009, a research effort was originally published that looked into connection between sleep apnea and rheumatoid arthritis. The question was do people with rheumatoid arthritis have greater chance of developing sleep apnea. This link was questioned since people with rheumatoid arthritis have higher chance of developing cardiovascular disease which in itself was found to be related to chronic sleep apnea. Thus testing was done on both the medical concern to prove or disprove the connection.
Two groups of same sex, age and BMI were taken. One was with rheumatoid arthritis and the other one was without the medical condition. They were given Berlin Sleep Questionnaire. Three other factors such as fatigue, snoring and tiredness were tested. In order to prove or disprove the hypothesis, the characteristics were populated into chi square test.
It was found that one third of the group without rheumatoid arthritis and half of those with rheumatoid arthritis were at the risk of developing sleep apnea. Obstructive sleep apnea was already present in almost 14 percent of people with rheumatoid arthritis. The distinguishing factor in this study was fatigue. Thus it was concluded that in rheumatoid arthritis population, sleep apnea is often under diagnosed.
In rheumatoid arthritis various regions of the body get inflamed. Not only joints but it can affect other body parts as well. It can damage regions within skin, eyes, lungs, heart, blood vessels. It causes pain filled swelling since it affects the lining of the joints. It causes joint stiffness, joint swelling and tiredness, weight loss and high temperature. Initially it affects the smaller joints but as the condition progresses it affects the joints such as elbows, knees, ankles, wrists, hips shoulders.
Sleep apnea is categorized in two forms i.e. obstructive sleep apnea and central sleep apnea. The most common and frequent in women is obstructive sleep apnea. During sleeping the patients sleeping is disrupted. The brain does not get adequate amount of oxygen thus the person is at a potential risks. In obstructive sleep apnea, the airway of the patient is blocked. This is because the soft tissue in the back of throat collapses. Central sleep apnea occurs since the brain is not able to signal the muscles to breathe. It occurs due to instability in respiratory control centre. It can cause chest pain, the person finds it difficult to stay asleep, while lying down there is shortness of breath, concentration difficulty and the person might wake up abruptly.
The solutions for both are different. Sleep apnea is curable but rheumatoid arthritis does not have cure. In order to stay away from the risk of developing sleep apnea, a person with rheumatoid arthritis should be diligent in their daily habits. Sleep apnea can be cured by weight loss or surgery.
This study is helpful for a person with either of the two conditions or with any one condition. The likelihood of developing another medical condition can be reduced if the patient diligently follows the above said conditions. In both the medical condition the person is at a higher risk of developing cardiovascular disease. To prevent the development of a new condition the person should eat well and exercise regularly.
