The Vicious Circle Of Sleep Apnea and Obesity

The benchmark for sleep apnea to be recognized as a serious medical condition is between 5 and 15 failed air intakes per hour. The obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is the most common form. Obstruction of the airway during sleep is the cause for OSA. Another form, that occurs quit rarely is CSA, central sneep apnea, where the signals to initiate the breathing movement sent by the brain ar unsufficient at best. This article shall deal with OSA and it's link to obesity which is the most important cause. Obesity is, although the most important, just one factor that causes OSA, others like Diabetes, alcohol etc. will be topics for future articles.

This can not be taken lightly as a little severer form of snoring! It is a serious medical condition, which does not only have an immediate effect on the individuals health (insomnia, headaches, daytime fatigue, moodiness). It also erodes your overall medical condition. Primarly through periodic unsufficient oxygen supply organs like the liver, kidneys and the heart can be seriously harmed. Often OSA also causes strokes.

OSA is more often present in men and far more often in obese people. It is believed that the airway of the obese individual becomes obstructed by large tonsils, enlarged tongue and increased fat in the neck, all pressing on the airway when the pharyngeal (throat) muscles are relaxed with sleep. Neck circumflexes of 17 inch in men and 16 inches in women count as an indicator for elevated sleep apnea risk.

Obstructive sleep apnea need to be dealt with immediately, when it is diagnosed, as sleep apnea and obesity influence each other negatively and make recovery a lot harder in the long term

1. the worsened physical and psychological condition of the individual will be a barrier for maintaining a regular workout schedule and healthy life style.
2. sleep apnea and the resulting poor sleep causes increased appetite. The reason is an alteration in the satiety hormones through fatigue and their influence on hunger.
3. elevated blood pressure, fasting glucose and high cholesterol are common effects of obesity and worson under sleep deprivation.
4. a derangement of hormons that control eating habits is often caused by sleep apnea, thus leading to weight gain, higher blood pressure and so on.

It’s a vicious cycle that leads to the ever faster deterioration of the obese individuals health. Obesity is never healthy, but in combination with sleep apnoe it becomes a very serious long term medical condition. If you think you might suffer from sleep apnea, you need to consult a doctor and test it in a sleep lab. If you are diagnosed with OSA you will have to follow thru with a strict weight loss and exercise plan. But you will be happy to hear, that this will significantly improve your life quality and your overall well-being.