Neuropathy And Sleep Apnea

Today's post from doctorstevenpark.com (see link below) looks at the possible links between sleep apnea and neuropathy and asks whether one of the treatments for sleep apnea could also help resolve neuropathic symptoms. The treatment he refers to is given the acronym CPAP (Continuous Positive Airway Pressure) and more information can be found here. Many people have breathing problems during their sleep process and it is recognised that this can bring pressure on blood vessels in the extremities, possibly leading to nerve damage. This article naturally skims the surface of the apnea/neuropathy connection but makes for interesting reading.

Peripheral Neuropathy and Obstructive Sleep Apnea
March 16, 2014

I just saw a patient 5 weeks after major tongue and soft palate surgery for obstructive sleep apnea, and as expected more often than not, his sleep quality was significantly improved. He did not suffer from brain fog anymore, and was able to think clearly again, something he was not able to do for more than 30 years. He was very happy with the results. As he was leaving the exam room, he wanted to show me something. He took off his shoes, and then his socks, and asked me what I thought.

I was a bit confused by his request, but then I remembered that he showed me his feet many months prior to his procedures. Compared to his right foot at that time, his left foot was more dusky, red and scaly, and not too healthy looking. He had peripheral neuropathy with pain, burring and numbness, for which he was being treated by another doctor. On the post-operative visit, his left foot looked much healthier. He also noted proudly that although he still had some numbness, his burning and pain were completely gone.

Peripheral neuropathy is a common condition seen usually in diabetics, but can also occur in non-diabetics. I wasn’t surprised by his result, but it was a bit unexpected. It not something that’s routinely described as a potential benefit of treating obstructive sleep apnea. We know that sleep apnea causes a stress response that clamps down on blood vessels of the distant extremities.

I did a quick literature search of the connection between obstructive sleep apnea and peripheral neuropathy and found a handful of studies. One report found that patients with obstructive sleep apnea without any symptoms in the feet had objective measures of diminished nerve function, which improved significantly after CPAP therapy. Another paper described resolution of peripheral neuropathy pain (but not numbness) in a non-diabetic after CPAP.

Knowing that obstructive sleep apnea and diabetes frequently go hand in hand, and that diabetes and peripheral neuropathy also go together, there’s a good possibility that the first and the last can also be linked as well. The real question that needs to be asked is, how many people with peripheral neuropathy have obstructive sleep apnea, and if treated adequately, how many can be helped or even cured? Another question that follows is, should all diabetics be routinely screened for obstructive sleep apnea? Knowing that obese diabetics can have up to an 80% chance of having obstructive sleep apnea, perhaps the answer should be yes.

If you’ve been diagnosed with obstructive sleep apnea, did your foot pain or numbness get any better after using CPAP, dental appliances or surgery?

http://doctorstevenpark.com/peripheral-neuropathy-and-obstructive-sleep-apnea