Can COVID-19 change how we breathe during sleep?
COVID-19 can leave behind fatigue, breathing difficulties and neurological symptoms that persist long after the initial infection. Because these effects can also disturb sleep, researchers have questioned whether COVID-19 might alter the physiological mechanisms underlying obstructive sleep apnea.
COVID-19 may not alter most key physiological traits linked to obstructive sleep apnea, a study led by Koç University researchers finds. However, those who contracted COVID-19 showed a stronger breathing response after brief awakenings from sleep. The study, published in the Journal of Clinical Medicine, compared 120 participants, with 60 having a history of COVID-19 and 60 serving as controls.
Despite the lack of significant differences in upper-airway collapsibility, ventilatory control stability, arousal threshold, or upper-airway muscle compensation, the findings suggest a potential impact on post-COVID sleep health. Further research is needed to determine the clinical significance of this observation and whether it affects particular subgroups or mechanisms not yet measured.
Written by urgent.news from Medical Xpress's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
