How Weight is Linked to Obstructive Sleep Apnea

According to the National Institutes of Health, obesity affects two in five adults, while one in three adults is overweight. Obesity causes many health issues, including obstructive sleep apnea (OSA).

OSA is a sleep disorder that leads to pauses in breathing throughout the night. This creates many health concerns, including heart disease and diabetes. Losing weight is one way to deal with OSA and its symptoms.

At Novell Primary Care and Weight Loss in Tallahassee, Florida, our team provides weight loss tools to increase confidence and decrease the risk of severe health conditions. If you have OSA, we offer fitness plans, customized meal plans, and other weight management services.

Understanding obstructive sleep apnea

OSA is a disorder where something obstructs your airway while you sleep, causing brief pauses in breathing. OSA causes your airway to collapse or become blocked, leading to various symptoms that include:

• Loud snoring
• Tossing and turning at night
• Waking up tired
• Excessive sleepiness during the day
• Dry mouth or sore throat
• Morning headaches
• Memory problems

According to the Sleep Foundation, OSA affects more than one billion people worldwide. There are other types of sleep apnea with different causes and prevalence.

OSA occurs when the tissues around your throat and airway relax naturally during sleep. These tissues either obstruct the airway or allow it to collapse for brief periods, causing pauses in breathing.

Risk factors for sleep apnea include being male, increased age, and obesity. Smoking and a family history of OSA also increase the risk of developing the condition.

Obesity and OSA

Obesity is a significant risk factor in OSA. Excess weight and fat, specifically around your neck area, significantly increase the risk of sleep apnea due to tissues obstructing the airway.

Specifically, a neck that measures more than 17 inches around and excess fat surrounding the neck or jaw puts you at risk for OSA. The higher your BMI, the more likely your tissues are to obstruct your airway during sleep.

Obesity isn't the only risk factor for OSA. Still, it increases the risk, especially with other factors or a family history.

Does losing weight help with OSA?

Weight loss can significantly decrease OSA symptoms and other health complications. Even modest weight loss improves sleep, lowers your blood pressure, and improves cardiovascular health.

However, losing weight isn't always easy, and long-term weight loss is necessary for managing OSA. Weight loss decreases the amount of fat in your body, specifically the tissues around the neck and airway. Without excess fat around your neck, the airway is less likely to be obstructed during sleep.

Our team provides tools and resources to help you lose weight and decrease OSA. We evaluate your health needs and offer appetite suppressants, fat-burning shots, and other medications to help you achieve your weight loss goals and decrease health complications from OSA.

To learn more about our weight loss tools, call our office in Tallahassee, Florida, today to schedule an appointment or book a consultation on the website.