Your body really is interconnected. What affects one system may begin to affect another if you’re not careful. This may be the case with rheumatoid arthritis and sleep apnea. Studies have shown that there is a direct link between the two ailments even though they affect completely different parts of your body.
If you’re curious to learn how these seemingly unconnected disorders can affect one another, continue reading.
What Is Rheumatoid Arthritis?
Rheumatoid arthritis is an autoimmune disorder of the joints that causes pain, swelling, and stiffness. It occurs when your immune system goes haywire and starts attacking your own body’s tissues, that’s when things get tricky.
Unlike the usual wear-and-tear of osteoarthritis that affects the bones, rheumatoid arthritis has a different agenda. It affects the lining of your joints, which leads to painful swelling, potential bone erosion, and even joint deformity over time.
The inflammation that comes with rheumatoid arthritis isn’t content with wreaking havoc on your joints alone. It can also cause trouble elsewhere in your body.
What is Sleep Apnea?
Imagine if you were trying to sleep and someone kept gently shaking you awake every ten minutes. This is what having sleep apnea is like as your body stops breathing due to an obstructed airway.
Sleep apnea affects millions of people every year, interrupting their sleep cycles and making them feel fatigued and sleep deprived. In serious cases, it can even lead to worsening symptoms for other disorders like rheumatoid arthritis.
How Are These Two Disorders Connected?
While not everyone who has sleep apnea will develop rheumatoid arthritis or vice-versa, there are several points of interest that overlap between the two disorders, making it likely that one will cause problems for the other.
Inflammation
Both sleep apnea and rheumatoid arthritis involve chronic inflammation. In sleep apnea, it was assumed to happen because of the disorder, but new research done by the University of Missouri-Columbia indicates that it could be a trigger. In rheumatoid arthritis, the immune system’s inappropriate response triggers inflammation, leading to joint damage and increasing the risk of sleep apnea.
Overlapping Risk Factors
Certain risk factors are shared between the two conditions. Obesity is chief among them. Half of all people with sleep apnea are overweight and close to two-thirds of people with rheumatoid arthritis are as well.
Physical Impact
Structural irregularities, prevalent in rheumatoid arthritis such as a retracted lower jaw, reduced upper airway size, and narrowed spaces between cervical vertebrae, may increase the likelihood of developing sleep apnea.
Sleep apnea can worsen inflammation and increase pain, fatigue, and joint stiffness in individuals with rheumatoid arthritis.
Everything is connected. Your health is a complex web of interrelated factors, and understanding these connections can lead to better management and more effective treatments. If you’re suffering from sleep apnea, know that there are treatments available at your dentist to address it. There’s no need to continue living with a lack of sleep.
About the Author
Dr. Sara Saba is a highly skilled dental expert in multiple fields. She earned her dental doctorate from the University of Maryland at College Park and continued her education through various professional organizations. She is currently an Las Vegas Institute Fellow and a proud provider of Vivos Integrated for sleep apnea treatment. To schedule a sleep apnea consultation at Exceptional Dentistry Pain & Sleep Solutions, call (301) 460-3331 or visit the website to explore other services.