Generally speaking, people with rheumatoid arthritis (RA for short) have a significantly higher chance of experiencing sleep problems. In particular, one study published in the journal BMJ Open found that individuals with RA could be 75% more likely to develop sleep apnea. What exactly is the connection between these two seemingly unrelated problems? Below is a closer examination of how your RA could be linked to your sleep-disordered breathing.
What Exactly are Rheumatoid Arthritis and Sleep Apnea?
RA is a type of chronic disease that causes the immune system to attack the tissue lining the joints in your body. This can easily lead to swelling as well as chronic pain. While RA most commonly occurs in the hands and feet, it can happen anywhere in the body where a joint is present.
Meanwhile, sleep apnea is when your breathing repeatedly stops and restarts while you’re asleep. Most of the time, this occurs due to the airway being partially or completely obstructed in some manner. Each time a sleep apnea episode occurs, the brain pulls the body out of the sleep cycle so that breathing can resume. Consequently, if sleep apnea remains untreated, it can make it next to impossible to get a good night’s rest.
The Relationship Between Rheumatoid Arthritis and Sleep Apnea
There are a few possible explanations for why sleep apnea occurs more often in individuals with RA. For one thing, it’s possible for RA to attack the temporomandibular joints (TMJs) that allow you to move your lower jaw. If RA causes the TMJs to degenerate, it can ultimately narrow your airway, which can increase your risk for the airway obstructions that result in sleep apnea.
On top of that, RA and sleep apnea share a common risk factor in the form of obesity. Research shows that being overweight can increase your chances of experiencing sleep-disordered breathing, and it can make existing symptoms of RA worse.
How Can You Treat Rheumatoid Arthritis and Sleep Apnea?
If you want to improve your overall health and your quality of life, you should have RA and sleep apnea treated as soon as possible. When it comes to RA, you should speak to your regular physician to see what treatment options are available. While the issue can’t be completely cured, it can be managed with certain medications and lifestyle changes.
As for sleep apnea, a sleep dentist may be able to help you reduce your symptoms with a personalized oral appliance. When you wear this device, it will move your lower jaw forward in order to open up the airway, thus making breathing interruptions less likely to happen. Oral appliances work best on mild to moderate sleep apnea; other forms of treatment may need to be considered if you have a more severe sleep disorder.
Whether they occur together or not, RA and sleep apnea are two issues that you can’t afford to ignore. It’s better to be proactive about having these conditions diagnosed and treated so that you can alleviate your pain and enjoy more restful nights again.
About the Author
Dr. Bernard L. Greenbaum is a graduate of the Georgetown University School of Dentistry. He has more than 25 years of dental experience, and he has been named a diplomate of the American Board of Dental Sleep Medicine. He offers customized oral appliances to help patients get their sleep-disordered breathing under control. If you are looking for a solution for your sleep apnea, you can schedule a consultation with Dr. Greenbaum at Bethesda Center for Dental Sleep Medicine & TMJ Therapy by visiting his website, using his online scheduling tool, or calling (240) 929-8034.