Hypothyroidism is the most common thyroid disorder, and its relationship with sleep apnea remains an active area of research, as it represents a frequent issue in everyday clinical practice. Patients with hypothyroidism often exhibit significant upper airway obstruction and experience recurrent episodes of sleep apnea.
Lack of energy, excessive daytime drowsiness, fatigue, depression, decreased libido, snoring, and difficulty concentrating are among the primary symptoms affecting individuals with hypothyroidism.
Several mechanisms help explain how hypothyroidism can trigger sleep apnea. Reduced alertness, muscle relaxation, loss of normal muscle tone, and separation of muscle fibers due to mucinous deposits interfere with the muscles’ ability to dilate the upper airways. Epidemiological studies have shown that between 25% and 100% of patients with hypothyroidism also suffer from sleep apnea or other sleep-related respiratory disorders.
Patients who are primarily diagnosed with sleep apnea but are not evaluated for thyroid function receive an incomplete diagnosis. As a result, they may undergo inadequate treatment, as the underlying hypothyroidism remains undetected. In such cases, conventional treatments for sleep apnea may provide temporary symptom relief; however, these treatments ultimately fail in the long term. This “temporary improvement” could have been avoided if the diagnosis of hypothyroidism had not been delayed.
Therefore, in addition to evaluating thyroid function and conducting a comprehensive clinical assessment, it is essential to include a sleep apnea evaluation in patients with hypothyroidism. High-resolution overnight oximetry offers an excellent alternative for this purpose.
By Dr. Diógenes Freire – Physician
CRM [Brazilian Federal Council of Medicine] 4231-SE
Instagram:@drdiogenesfreire
Site http://drdiogenesfreire.com/
Biologix offers an online platform that allows healthcare practitioners to provide their patients with a simplified and low-cost exam for sleep apnea. The Biologix solution is based on portable sensors, apps, and cloud computing.
The diagnosis of obstructive sleep apnea is extremely important. It can be carried out through polysomnography or the Biologix Sleep Test® a multimodal polysomnography. This test can be performed at home, is simple, practical, effective, and does not require spending the night at a sleep lab.
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