Breathing difficulties at night are obviously not a recipe for restful sleep or alertness the next day. But it turns out that sleep apnea is responsible for more than just sleep difficulties. It has been associated with:

Of these issues, hearing loss may be the most surprising. Some theories suggest that the inflammation and circulatory issues brought on by sleep apnea may lead to damage in the inner ear.

Scientists have linked sleep apnea to a decreased ability to hear certain frequencies, understand conversations in noisy environments and pick up softer sounds. In a study of nearly 14,000 men and women who had completed both a sleep study and a hearing evaluation, subjects with sleep apnea were: