With COVID-19 still prevalent in many communities, and new variants appearing around the world, preventing and lowering your risk of contracting this serious illness is of paramount importance. But now, a new study has found more bad news regarding COVID-19, and it should serve as a warning to those with sleep apnea.According to the study, published by The Cleveland Clinic, those who contract COVID-19 and have sleep apnea are at a much higher risk of hospitalization or death than those who do not. This is likely because of lowered blood oxygen levels from sleep apnea. When you struggle to breathe with sleep apnea, blood oxygen levels plummet, causing lowered blood oxygen.The good news is that persons with sleep apnea are no more likely to contract COVID-19 than the rest of the population, so having sleep apnea does not increase your risk, but the dangers occur once you already have it.Though the study did not mention whether the subjects evaluated in the project were treating their sleep apnea, however treating sleep apnea is always a good idea, even when we are not in the midst of a pandemic. Treating sleep apnea can keep your blood oxygen at healthy levels, improve your sleep, improve feelings of depression, and improve symptoms like lethargy and exhaustion during the day.Furthermore, untreated sleep apnea can worsen other conditions like cancer, heart disease, diabetes, and Alzheimer's disease.If you have sleep apnea or suspect you or a partner could have sleep apnea, schedule a sleep study with your physician or sleep specialist, and speak to Dr. Peterson about a custom sleep orthotic that can help open your airway as you sleep, allowing you to get more oxygen, and boosting your blood oxygen levels. Custom sleep orthotics are comfortable devices that fit into the mouth much like a bite guard, and require no mask or machinery.For COVID-19 protection, experts in the study recommend following CDC guidelines for prevention, including frequent hand washing, social distancing, mask-wearing, and vaccination including booster shots for all persons over the age of 5 years old.To schedule an appointment with Dr. Peterson to discuss your sleep apnea options, please contact the office today.