Certain asthma medications may cause sleep apnea

Allergy medications could be having a direct effect on how you sleep.

According to preliminary results from a small study, certain asthma medications might increase the risk for a person to suffer from sleep apnea. Sleep apnea is the condition where a person will stop breathing while asleep. Each episode can last from a few seconds to a few minutes, multiple times each night. The most common type of apnea is the airway becoming blocked or collapsing during the night, which can lead to a whole host of potential health problems: High blood pressure, a stroke or heart attack.

The study – which was conducted by researchers at the University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health – was a small one, consisting of only 18 subjects. The men and women who participated were each given 1,700 micrograms of an inhaled fluticasone each day, and their sleeping patterns were monitored each night, with the doctors searching for the collapsibility of their upper airways. What the researchers found was that the changes in both their tongue functions and airway constriction were consistent with the symptoms of sleep apnea.

Some patients were found to be more vulnerable to the disease than others. Those who were most affected by the sleep apnea were at least in their mid-30s and had poorly controlled asthma from the beginning of their initial diagnosis. The researchers noted that this study has simply found a link between the asthma medication and sleep apnea, but further tests will need to be done in the future to find the direct cause and effect.

If you suffer from asthma, one of the best things you can do to ease your symptoms is keep the air in your home pollutant-free. Invest in a purifier or filter from US Air Purifiers Direct 2U and reap the many benefits of air purifiers.