Studies suggest that people with asthma may be at increased risk for sleep apnea, and that sleep apnea can worsen asthma. Sleep apnea worsens asthma in a number of ways, such as increasing gastroesophageal reflux (acid reflux), causing increased inflammation throughout the body (including the lungs), contributing to weight gain and obesity, and causing decreased airflow in the airways of the lungs.
Continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) is the preferred therapy for obstructive sleep apnea. CPAP involves the patient wearing a mask during sleep that provides a continuous stream of pressurized air to keep the airways open. There is a surgical option for the treatment of obstructive sleep apnea, called a uvulopalatopharyngeoplasty (UP3), but in my opinion and experience, this is rarely helpful and most people wind up needing CPAP anyway.
CPAP seems to reverse many of the harmful effects of sleep apnea. Acid reflux is improved with the use of CPAP through the increase in the ability of sphincter muscles in the esophagus to keep acid in the stomach. Inflammatory chemicals caused by sleep apnea decrease, causing less inflammation within the body and the lungs. Airflow within the airways is increased with the use of CPAP, leading to better oxygenation of the lungs and decreased contraction of the smooth muscles around the airways. All of these effects lead to improvement in asthma control in people with asthma and sleep apnea.
Learn more about the effects of sleep apnea on asthma.
Source:
Alkhalil M, Schulman ES, Getsy J. Ostructive Sleep Apnea Syndrome and Asthma: The Role of Continuous Positive Airway Pressure Treatment. Ann Allergy Asthma Immunol. 2008;101:350-7.
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