Now that I get sleep with my CPAP machine, I notice nights when, for whatever reason, I didn't get a good night of therapy. I may feel dehydrated upon waking, have a headache, and sometimes if I overdo it during the day my heart feels a little flippy. I ran across this interesting Q&A and thought I would share here:
Q: I have atrial fibrillation and have been shocked twice to get me back to normal rhythm. However, in each case, I went back into atrial fibrillation within a few weeks. I do snore and my doctor recommends a sleep test. He says if I have sleep apnea, that could be why I go back into the abnormal rhythm.
A: Your doctor is probably correct. The incidence of recurrent atrial fibrillation in untreated sleep apnea is probably four to five times normal. There are several reasons. First, during the apnea the heart and especially the atria are stretched like a rubber band. Oxygen levels drop and pressure in the arteries leading out of the heart increases severely. This combination of factors leads to electrical instability and can results in atrial fibrillation. Therefore, it is very important that you get tested for aleep apnea. If you do indeed have sleep apnea, with treatment you might be able to stay out of atrial fibrillation.
http://azdailysun.com/lifestyles/health-med-fit/columnists/sleep-well-cpap-machines-adjust-for-altitude/article_45d183e8-04b1-5e7e-a95c-a2fba2da0935.html
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