Sleep apnea and obesity have always been linked with each other for one reason or another. There are many sleep-disordered breathing, like obesity hypoventilation syndrome, that are similar to sleep apnea. Therefore, it is crucial for you to understand the relationship between obesity and sleep apnea. More importantly, it is essential for you to learn the importance of maintaining a healthy body weight.
Obesity in itself is an alarming condition that has been growing continually worldwide. It has many health risks and complications associated with it. From fatty liver issues to cardiovascular disease, obesity has been the major cause of many life-threatening conditions.
Sleep apnoea is also one of the associated health complications with obesity. It starts with something as simple as occasional obstructive sleep apnea and then gradually grows. Obesity hypoventilation syndrome is another stage where sleep apnea starts developing. So, let's delve deeper into this.
Obesity is a condition of the body in which your body mass index indicates excessive body fat compared to other compositions. For example, you have a lack of muscles and other tissues but have excessive body fat. Moreover, you consume more calories (eat more food) than you and your body burns, which results in you being overweight.
Obesity puts strain on the cardiovascular system primarily and respiratory organs. And gradually, you develop issues like asthma or breathing issues. Then you face high blood pressure and have a high risk of developing diabetes, among other problems.
Because of the nature of today's caloric-dense food and junk consumption, obesity is a global epidemic. Obesity also impacts a person physically, causing joint pains, body disbalance, and less than average athletic performance.
In simple words, sleep apnoea is a sleep disorder, or condition, in which you have trouble breathing during sleep. There are three different categories of sleep apnoea:
Obstructive Sleep Apnea (OSA)
Central Sleep Apnea (CSA)
Treatment-Emergent Or Complex Sleep Apnea
OSA, or Obstructive sleep apnea syndrome, is the most common problem that almost 1 in 5 people face worldwide (including temporary conditions). Interestingly, obstructive sleep apnea means that something is obstructing the breathing network, usually in the throat. Narrow airways or a relaxed throat can easily lead to the problem.
From a couple of seconds to minutes, OSA can last and reoccur in a single sleep cycle. As a result, the person wakes up with an array of symptoms and issues like headaches, poor quality sleep, and more. Due to the nature of OSA, it can be linked to Obesity hypoventilation syndrome (OHS).
OHS is similar to OSA in many ways but is more obesity driven. You can call it the combination of Obesity and OSA. But in simple words, it is when your body weight, especially in the chest or neck region, starts putting a load on the respiratory organs, the windpipe, and the lungs that causes you to have improper or shorter breaths. As a result, you develop symptoms similar to Obstructive sleep apnoea.
How does obesity impact obstructive sleep apnoea? Let's have a quick look:
With the accumulation of fat in the neck and chest, it is easier to put a load on the windpipes and respiratory organs. As a result, it is easier to develop OSA or a condition similar to OSA that leads to sleep apnea. The more load the fat puts on your body with weight gain, the more challenging it gets to breathe while you're asleep.
With insulin resistance and other hormonal changes, it is easier to have poor-quality sleep. As a result, patients with obstructive sleep apnea end up facing multiple issues. You could even face inflammation that could contribute towards central sleep apnea due to heart conditions and medication.
It is easier for obese patients to have disorganized leptin and ghrelin profiles. These contribute to maintaining an appetite and metabolism. As a result, you can get more hungry and also increase the risk factors of sleep apnea by getting up at irregular hours.
The first approach to treating sleep apnea or obesity is always weight loss. If weight loss isn't possible from lifestyle changes and exercise, then the doctor might prescribe a few medicines.
When the weight loss treatment doesn't work, the second approach is to provide CPAP therapy, also known as continuous positive airway pressure therapy. The specialist might also suggest a sleep heart health study and sleep study in general to provide better sleep apnea treatment.
The level of obesity might also dictate the level of treatment required. Generally, overweight and obese patients might have a simple approach. Moderately obese patients with OSA might need CPAP therapy. However, morbidly obese patients usually require bariatric surgery or something similar. As they have cardiovascular risk factors, the specialists work on lowering those risks first.
The risk factor for cardiovascular diseases amplifies drastically. You also face various problems like metabolic syndrome and excessive daytime sleepiness. Because of obesity and OSA, you're looking at daily problems like insulin resistance, blood pressure issues, excess weight gain, and more. From visceral obesity to obstructive sleep apnea severity, it impacts everything.
With an increased risk of developing sleep apnea, you might have to partake in sleep meds and CPAP treatment. Sleep apnea patients often face sleep deprivation. Severe OSA can even lead to metabolic abnormalities, cardiovascular morbidity, and all the risks associated with OSA.
To avoid many of the independent risk factors, it is essential for OSA patients to undergo weight loss and even treat mild obstructive sleep apnea. As OSA severity decreases and you lose weight, you can start having better quality sleep. If nothing works, weight reduction surgery is still an option.
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