Sleep Apnea And Losing Weight

According to the American Association for Respiratory Care, approximately 18 million Americans develop sleep apnea at some point. A health condition that affects men, women and children, sleep apnea often occurs in overweight individuals. Learn the facts about sleep apnea and losing weight so you can help minimize your chances of developing complications from this potentially serious health problem.

The Facts

Sleep apnea occurs when you temporarily stop breathing during sleep, usually for less than a minute at a time. According to the National Heart Blood and Lung Institute, NHBLI, these pauses in breathing take place as many as 30 times in an hour, depending upon the severity of your condition. Sleep apnea may occur because of brain problems--called central sleep apnea--or because of an airway collapse or blockage--called obstructive sleep apnea. The NHBLI notes that obstructive sleep apnea, OSA, occurs more frequently in people who are overweight.

Identification

Talk to your doctor if you need to lose weight and suspect you might have sleep apnea. According to MayoClinic.com, signs of sleep apnea include excessive or very loud snoring, unusual sleepiness, insomnia and awakening suddenly while gasping for air. Depending upon the cause and severity of your sleep apnea, your doctor may recommend weight loss alone or in conjunction with other treatment options, such as surgery, medication and supplemental oxygen.

Significance

If you've already been diagnosed with sleep apnea, losing weight may minimize your symptoms. Dr. Allan Pack, a professor at the University of Pennsylvania's School of Medicine and author of the book "Sleep Apnea," notes that weight loss could markedly diminish the severity of sleep apnea, especially in mild cases. Losing weight often minimizes excess fatty deposits that accumulate in your neck and abdomen when you're overweight; this fatty tissue contributes to sleep apnea by constricting your airway and limiting your breathing, states Dr. Ralph A. Pascualy, medical director of the Northwest Hospital Sleep Center and author of the book "Snoring and Sleep Apnea."

Prevention

Dr. Pascualy points out that losing weight is a key step in preventing sleep apnea, since over half of overweight people in the U.S. develop sleep apnea at some point. Although extra weight often appears on your hips and thighs, excess fat in your torso is a primary concern with sleep apnea. Also called central obesity, this type of excess weight often reveals itself in a thickening waistline. As a rule, men with a waist larger than 40 inches and women with a waist more than 34 inches have central obesity and should lose weight before they start developing signs of sleep apnea.

Problems

Unfortunately, losing weight while you have an active case of sleep apnea is not always easy. According to Dr. Pascualy, side effects of sleep apnea, such as excessive drowsiness and lack of sleep, could minimize or prevent your ability to lose weight. Failing to lose weight--combined with the physical stress your body suffers from the sleep apnea--often contributes to other complications, such as hypertension and insulin resistance. In some cases, you may need to begin treatment for your sleep apnea before you can lose weight. Dr. Pack points out that drastic weight loss often doesn't occur until after sleep apnea patients begin nasal CPAP, continuous positive airway pressure, a sleep apnea treatment that forces air through the air passages to keep them from collapsing.