Wednesday, November 19, 2014

Sleep apnea and sex

Studies have shown that obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) increases risk of erectile dysfunction (ED), and treating OSA with CPAP can improve ED. And some of my patients with untreated OSA are just too tired to engage in sex. Finally, some of my patients are hesitant to start CPAP therapy because they worry it will interfere with their sex life. This is usually in my younger patients and some of it is a misunderstanding about when CPAP is worn. Some think it's supposed to be worn whenever they are in their bed, as opposed to just sleeping.

This article discusses research presented at a recent meeting. Researchers asked participants about their sexual quality of life. The participants all has OSA and were prescribed CPAP therapy. The researchers divided the participants into two groups - those that used the CPAP regularly and those that did not. Results showed no difference in sexual quality of life between the two groups. The conclusion was that CPAP did not interfere with the participants sexual satisfaction.

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