Obesity & Sleep Apnea
- While being overweight may contribute to a number of sleeping difficulties, it is not a cause of sleep apnea.
- Losing weight, however, can make sleeping easier and more comfortable, even making you feel that you no longer need your CPAP machine.
- In this case, talk to your doctor and consider having a new sleep test to determine the best treatment options for you at your new weight.
While being overweight does not cause sleep apnea, it does make it more likely for you to have a sleeping disorder. An increase in weight and neck size may be indicators that you have sleep apnea or suffer from other health problems. Obesity is a growing problem; an increase in body size can cause problems in your sleep. If you are overweight you are more likely to snore and to toss and turn during the night. Also, being overweight can cause increased pressure on you airway during sleep, making it more likely to close. Fatty deposits in the neck also increase the pressure put on the airway at night. These changes in the body do increase the likelihood that you may suffer from sleep apnea. It is important that if you are overweight and do not feel that you sleep very well to contact your doctor to see if you have sleep apnea. Dieting alone is not a recommended way to treat sleep apnea. It is important to discuss all the treatment options with your doctor. Diet, exercise, and the proper use of CPAP (or other prescription treatments) are the recommended ways to help to improve sleep. When sleep apnea is diagnosed and then treated it can lead to weight loss and increased energy during the day. Sleeping is very important to your health and to living a healthy lifestyle.
If I lose weight will my sleep apnea go away?
It is very important to remember that being overweight does not cause sleep apnea. So if you do lose weight, you may still have sleep apnea. It is important to talk to your doctor about your apnea and how your weight loss has affected it. Weight loss is a great way to maintain a healthy lifestyle and to improve your health. Weight loss may even help your sleep and lessen your sleeping disorders. If significant weight loss has occurred, you should talk to your doctor about possibly repeating your sleep study to determine the severity of your apnea. It is also important to remain on your CPAP, even if you feel that you may not need it. Only a doctor can tell you if you still have sleep apnea and what treatment is best.
If I lose weight do I still need to use my CPAP machine?
Yes. You should always remain on your CPAP or BIPAP machine until a doctor has told you to stop treatment. As with any prescription, it is important to discuss with your doctor any changes or concerns you may have. Weight loss is a great way to improve your health and to improve your sleep. However, weight loss does not guarantee that your sleep apnea will go away. Talk to your doctor; ask him or her about your current weight and how much you have lost. Discuss the options of redoing a CPAP sleep test to see if your current pressure is the best for you. Even if you have lost weight, CPAP is still beneficial for your health and for maintaining a healthy sleep schedule.
The Daners of Snoring and Sleep Apnea
Throughout numerous medical studies, Sleep Apnea and Snoring have been identified as serious health risks in Hypertension, Obesity, Heart Failure and Diabetes.
- Obesity is not only the leading cause of Sleep Apnea, but the effects of Sleep Apnea can lead to further weight gain.
- 83% of individuals with Hypertension also have Sleep Apnea and there is a direct relationship between the severity of Sleep Apnea and the severity of hypertension.
- Sleep Apnea plays a critial role is decreasing heart functions, while CPAP significantly improves pumping efficiency, blood pressure, cardiac and stroke incidents, and quality of life.
- Treating Sleep Apnea with CPAP has shown to reduce blood sugar levels in Diabetics by 30%.
Everyone knows someone who snores, whether they reside in the same household, sleep in the same bed, or maybe the snorer is you. Until recently snoring was just an annoying, sometimes funny condition. Movies have often portrayed snoring in a comedic sense, with characters playing pranks on snorers. However, now may be a good time to stop laughing and have a serious talk about snoring and its more serious form, sleep apnea. Snoring happens when someone’s airway relaxes and narrows, causing it to vibrate as air passes through. Sleep Apnea occurs when that airway completely closes, the individual quits breathing, which means his or her body is no longer getting oxygen, and they often respond by gasping for air and waking throughout the night. Due to decreased oxygen and frequent awakening, Sleep Apnea has been found to decrease the sufferer’s quality of life and complicate disorders such as; Hypertension, Heart Failure and Diabetes.
The reason Sleep Apnea is associated with these serious disorders is its relationship with obesity. A recent study by Columbia University shows that individuals suffering from Sleep Apnea are more likely to be obese than those who regularly get seven or more hours of quality sleep. This is not new information, considering that obesity is the leading cause of Sleep Apnea. However, the study also suggests that Sleep Apnea may be contributing to obesity and preventing weight loss. This is due to two factors: sleep deprivation throws off metabolism and appetite hormones, making you feel hungrier yet unable to burn calories as quickly, all while sleep deprivation results in decreased energy levels. This limits your exercise and other activities that would otherwise lead to weight loss. When these factors are coupled, it is easy to see why weight loss attempts may be in vain. Treating your Sleep Apnea could be the first step to losing weight and achieving a healthier lifestyle.
Hypertension is another serious disorder that is common among Americans and is often complicated by Sleep Apnea. An article published in the New England Journal of Medicine stated that 83% of Hypertension patients have Sleep Apnea and there is a direct relationship showing that as the severity of Sleep Apnea increases, the severity of hypertension increases proportionately. This evidence suggests that anyone currently diagnosed or being treated for Hypertension, needs to be tested for Sleep Apnea. This fact was made more apparent when the effects of Sleep Apnea treatment, a continuous positive airway pressure machine (CPAP), were shown to reduce blood pressure by 30% while reducing dependency on anti-hypertensive medications significantly. Additional surprising results that support these findings lie in a study conducted by the Yale Center for Sleep Medicine. This trial showed that a pool of patients with mild to severe Sleep Apnea resulted in 22 strokes and 50 deaths over a three year period, yet in a non-apneic group of patients there were only two strokes and 14 deaths over the same period.
Heart Disease follows a similar trend of hypertension and its relationship to Sleep Apnea. The American Journal of Respiratory Care showed that 50-60% of those with heart problems suffer from Sleep Apnea. Reduced oxygen levels that result from Sleep Apnea play a critical role in decreasing the performance of cardiac functions. Heart patients receiving treatment for sleep apnea with a CPAP machine, saw significant improvements in pumping efficiency, blood pressure, cardiac and stroke incidents, and quality of life.
Diabetes was only recently linked to Sleep Apnea, however this link is not surprising since Diabetes is also linked to obesity. Researchers found that treating Sleep Apnea with CPAP not only helped people sleep better, but it also improved their blood sugar (glucose) levels, which can reduce the risk of complications from Diabetes, such as heart and kidney disease. Previous studies have shown that Diabetes and Sleep Apnea are closely related, as Sleep Apnea sufferers are nine times more likely to have Diabetes than those who do not have the sleeping disorder. In a study that appeared in the Feb. 28 issue of the Archives of Internal Medicine, researchers evaluated the effects of CPAP on blood sugar levels in a group of 25 people with type 2 Diabetes. Each of the patients received the treatment for at least four hours a night during a three month period. The results showed that the Sleep Apnea treatment prompted a 30% reduction in blood sugar levels. Researchers say that in light of the high prevalence of Sleep Apnea and Obesity in people with Diabetes, these results suggest that the treatment of Sleep Apnea can have important health benefits. Furthermore, the findings showed CPAP may improve blood sugar levels by lowering insulin resistance, as restless sleep causes an increase in hormones that work against insulin. Thus, improving sleep with CPAP, may improve hormone levels and Diabetes. Researchers concluded by saying, anyone with Diabetes who has symptoms of Sleep Apnea, such as excessive daytime sleepiness and loud, persistent snoring, should be evaluated for Sleep Apnea and seek treatment for the sleeping disorder.
Finding Treatment
Sleep Apnea and snoring are problems you do not want to ignore. If you or someone you know has been diagnosed with hypertension, diabetes or heart disease, and are sleepy or has a history of snoring you need to speak with a physician soon. Today sleep specialist and sleep centers are located in many hospitals and health centers throughout the country. Nearly all insurance plans cover sleep testing and treatment, with a number of different medical equipment providers to choose from in any area. Primary care physicians are often aware of the dangers of sleep disorders and where treatment can be found.
Key Words: sleep apnea, CPAP, overweight, sleep test, treat, weight loss
