The presence of sleep apnea can hamper the normal sleep cycles of an individual. It can lead to a temporary cessation of breathing due to obstructions in the air passages. This can severely affect the entire health of an individual as such pauses during breathing can lead to a lack of oxygen in reaching the crucial areas of the body. The brain is one such major part of the body that requires sufficient amount of oxygen.

Interfering with the normal functioning of the brain especially during sleep can lead to the occurrence of numerous conditions, mostly headaches. However, it is seen that sleep apnea can trigger not only ordinary headaches but migraines as well. In fact, most specialists are attributing sleep apnea as a major cause of migraine. Mostly, they recommend that those suffering from migraines wear some sort of sleep apnea mouth guard to ensure free airways thus alleviating the problem.

Causes

Sleep apnea affects a person in a number of ways, mostly with the areas in the body that requires an adequate supply of oxygen. Sleep apnea and migraines are bound together by the common attribute of stress. Obstructive Sleep Apnea can lead to blockages in the airways thus leading to disturbances in sleep. This results in the individual to wake up several times during the night thus preventing him/her from having a quality sleep.

Disturbances in the normal sleep cycle can result in the individual to develop various disorders. It can considerably affect the normal functioning capacity of the brain, thus leading to lack of productivity, mood swings, and ultimately, stress. This buildup of stress can trigger migraine headaches in individuals.

Effects

Sleep apnea and the subsequent migraine developed from it can cause several harmful effects on the body. If left untreated it can result in brain damage over time and many other diseases such as hypertension, stroke, and depression. In fact, both snoring and sleep apnea can cause brain damage because of decreased oxygen and blood circulation.

The pauses during breathing can hinder the brain from getting adequate oxygen for its functioning this resulting in irreversible damage to the brain. This paves the way for risks of stroke and the development of other conditions like memory loss.

Treatment

One of the best ways to prevent migraines associated with sleep apnea is to ensure that the airways are clear of any obstructions. Numerous snoring solutions like mouth guards can position the jaws in such a way to facilitate easy breathing free of any obstructions thus offering quality sleep.

In some individuals, the nasal airways and cavities have slight deformities, which can only be treated by the right surgical procedures. Treating sleep apnea and migraines associated with it at the earliest will help prevent any complications such as stroke or hypertension.