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November Marks the Great American Smokeout

November marks the Great American Smokeout when smokers are encouraged to finally kick the habit for good. What does smoking do to your sleep apnea and CPAP use? Today’s blog features more information on that.

Needless to say, smoking can have detrimental effects on your health. Those who smoke and have Obstructive Sleep Apnea will have worsened consequences. If you don’t currently have sleep apnea but smoke cigarettes, you are at a high risk of developing OSA. Separately, they impact your breathing, but together they can negatively impact the airway tremendously.

Common Risk Factors

A strong reason why the combination of smoking and non-CPAP compliance is so dangerous is that the risk factors of both are the same and, when not eliminated, the risks are exacerbated. Some of the common risk factors are strokes, diabetes, airway inflammation, high blood pressure and heart problems. Not treating OSA with CPAP therapy is made even more dangerous when smoking is involved. Consider the life adjustments that must be made in order to decrease risks and dramatically improve your health.

Taking Your Best Breaths

Starting CPAP therapy is not an easy transition for most people, but compliance is guaranteed to improve and treat your sleep apnea. In fact, some studies have shown that compliance with therapy can even help you to throw that last pack in the garbage. Smoking seriously impacts your ability to breathe, due to the strain it places on the lungs. If you have smoked most of your life, this may be a major struggle for you. Unfortunately, your OSA has likely been worsened as a result.

Quitting is not easy, but there are many healthcare professionals ready to help. By starting CPAP therapy as soon as you can, you can likely make quitting easier than it would have been without compliance. If you do not have OSA but smoke, we still suggest quitting in order to reduce your chances of developing sleep apnea and to improve your overall quality of life!

Our respiratory therapists are here to put you on the right track for your lung and sleep health. Make an appointment with us today!