Understanding the link between sleep apnea and hair loss can be a complex puzzle. At the Bend Headache Center, we strive to simplify this subject and help our patients identify potential threats that sleep apnea can pose to their overall wellbeing, including unusual patterns of hair loss.
The Enigma: Sleep Apnea
Sleep apnea, a condition that obstructs your breathing repeatedly during sleep, afflicts around 22 million Americans, but almost 90% of cases go undiagnosed. Symptoms often manifest in daylight through excessive sleepiness or are noticed by partners during the night—loud, frequent snoring and observed episodes of stopped breathing during sleep.
Who’s at Risk?
It’s not an equal opportunities situation—sleep apnea tends to affect overweight men over 40 more frequently than other demographics.
Unexpected Consequence: Hair Loss
On first glance, sleep apnea and hair loss may appear to reside in different spheres of health. Yet, the two conditions are linked in surprisingly direct ways.
What is Hair Loss?
Hair loss, scientifically termed as alopecia, is a condition where a person loses more hair than they’re regrowing. This process of shedding and rebirth is usually balanced, but when it isn’t, bald patches or thinning hair become noticeable.
Who is Susceptible to Hair Loss?
Hair loss is a global issue, transcending age, gender, and race. It’s generally associated more with males, but females are not immune. At Bend Headache Center, we often encounter women confronted with hair loss as a result of sleep apnea.
The Connection between Sleep Apnea and Hair Loss
So, what’s the connection between sleep apnea and hair loss? The answer revolves around oxygen.
Impaired Blood Oxygen Levels
Sleep apnea can lead to lower oxygen levels in your blood. Hair follicles, like all cells, require enough oxygen to function optimally. An adequate oxygen supply promotes healthy hair growth by supporting the growth phase of the hair cycle. When oxygen supply becomes limited due to sleep apnea, hair growth can be disrupted, leading to possible hair loss.
Increased Stress Levels
Prolonged episodes of sleep apnea can cause an increase in stress hormones, such as cortisol, in the body. Cortisol can disrupt the hair growth cycle, potentially leading to hair loss.
Treatment Options at Bend Headache Center
At the Bend Headache Center, we specialize in non-surgical and drug-free solutions. We provide treatment alternatives that aim for sustainable relief and improved well-being.
Comprehensive Consultations
Our team offers comprehensive one-on-one consultations to understand each patient’s health profile deeply, taking you through your sleep habits, existing health conditions, and daily routines to pinpoint the possible links between sleep apnea and hair loss.
Personalized Treatment Plans
We commit to delivering personalized treatment plans that effectively address not only sleep apnea but also the associated condition of hair loss.
Seek expert help if you’re experiencing symptoms of sleep apnea or hair loss. At Bend Headache Center, we’re committed to helping you regain your confidence and improve the quality of your life. To help diagnose and treat sleep apnea and its spiky companion, hair loss, reach out to us at the Bend Headache Center today!
