Sleep Apnea -
A Weight Issue
Sleep apnea occurs when there are pauses in breathing during sleep. These means an individual literally stops breathing.
There are two types of apnea - Central and Obstructive. Sleep apnea is a common problem among the morbidly obese. Often requiring them to use a C-pap machine and wear an oxygen mask so they can breathe. Part of the cause is the excessive weight bearing down on the chest crushing their rib cage and lungs.
According to medical reports the most at risk population are obese middle-aged men. It seems to be rare for a woman to suffer sleep apnea.
The problem is that people who do fall asleep with sleep apnea go through brief periods where other people think they're not going to wake up. Keep in mind that this is very serious because if it's not properly diagnosed it can be life threatening. Snoring and constant gasping for air during sleep are commonly seen.
Obstructive sleep apnea can be dangerous to the heart because it deprives the heart of oxygen and fail to keep the blood circulation flowing efficiently. This can lead to serious heart problems later in life.
Other symptoms associated with sleep apnea are headaches, irritability, moodiness, difficulty concentrating, nocturia (getting up in the middle of the night to urinate), increased urination, decreased sexual drive, increased heart rate, anxiety, depression, esophageal reflux (acid reflux disease), and profuse heavy sweating at night.
Sleep apnea has also been linked to congestive and congenital heart failure. This is usually found in the morbidly obese. This is from severe and prolonged cases meaning the individual(s) were not being treated and had let the condition get to the point that it's no longer treatable.
Individuals born with Down's syndrome are likely to develop obstructive sleep apnea. 50% of that population that has this genetic condition are likely to be diagnosed because they have an enlarged head, adenoids, tonsils, tongue, and narrowing of the nasopharnyx.
Pharyngeal flap surgery has also been noted to cause sleep apnea in patients because of the obstruction in the breathing pattern after surgery. If not monitored this could be life threatening.
There are different treatments for people with sleep apnea and doctors and ENT (Ear Nose and Throat) specialists take the following into consideration for designing a treatment plan for those who are diagnosed with this condition.
The factors that are considered are an individual's medical history, severity of the disorder, and the specific cause for the obstruction.
Some treatments also incorporate a lifestyle change, avoiding alcohol and medications that can relax the nervous system.
Other lifestyle changes can include losing weight, quitting smoking, and incorporating things like elevating themselves while sleeping so that they can breathe using slanted pillows.
Excess weight is the biggest lifestyle concern because that causes some people to be confined to beds where they can't move and be active further contributing to more weight gain.
Usually if someone who's morbidly obese and loses about 50 pounds within a couple months their condition improves. It helps to have a steady support system to get someone on a set routine and healthy eating plan. Surgical options for weight loss include the gastric bypass or a lap band. Afterwards you have to eat differently and undergo a major lifestyle change. Sometime these drastic surgeries are the only options available to obtain the weight loss to improve sleep and breathing patterns.
About the author -
Christine Hasinger, LAc, RN, MSOM is an acupuncturist in Palm Harbor, Florida. She runs the Blue Orchid Healing Center where many people with menopause, insomnia and sleeping problems receive help to start sleeping better, wake up feeling rested in the morning and decrease their hot flashes and night sweats.
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