How Obstructive Sleep Apnea Affects the Eyes

It’s no secret that Obstructive Sleep Apnea (OSA) is a serious condition with many consequences. This disease, which causes you to stop breathing for periods of time during sleep, doesn’t just impact the quality of your rest; it also affects your cardiovascular health, increases the risk of diabetes and stroke, and leads to poor oxygenation of the blood. In addition to all of these concerns, scientific research is emerging that suggests OSA can impair eye function as well. 

The reduced blood flow and vascular injury caused by OSA is the primary problem here - this leads to optic nerve damage, age-related macular degeneration, nonarteritic anterior ischemic optic neuropathy (sudden loss of vision due to reduced blood flow to the optic nerve), glaucoma and retinal vein occlusion (a type of eye “stroke”).

The second part is more mechanical - the abnormal looseness of the tissues that are responsible for many cases of OSA can also lead to floppy eye syndrome, a condition wherein the upper eyelid is loose and can easily be turned inside out. 

Additionally measures taken to treat OSA can cause dry eye, such as irritation from a cPAP machine’s powerful airflow. 

So what can be done to address these eye issues? Regular eye exams are crucial in early detection and treatment - and some of these ocular conditions may even alert you to an OSA presence you were unaware of! Talking to your doctors and dentists and asking the right questions goes a long way in early detection, prevention and treatment. Not sure where to start? Call us today for a comprehensive airway evaluation!