What is Sleep Apnea?
Sleep apnea is a sleep disorder in which a person’s breathing repeatedly stops and starts while they are asleep. This interruption in breathing can be brief and may happen many times throughout the night.
What are the symptoms of Sleep Apnea?
Common symptoms of sleep apnea include loud snoring, abrupt awakenings accompanied by choking or gasping, morning headaches, dry mouth or sore throat upon waking, difficulty staying asleep.
How do Sleep Apnea Impact Daily Activities?
Sleep apnea can have a significant impact on your day-to-day life. It often leads to daytime sleepiness, fatigue, difficulty concentrating, and irritability. People with sleep apnea are at a higher risk of accidents, reduced productivity, and impaired cognitive function.
What causes Sleep Apnea? The ‘Risk Factors
Several factors increase the risk of developing sleep apnea. These include obesity, being overweight, a large neck circumference, smoking, alcohol or sedative use, a family history of sleep apnea, and certain medical conditions like hypertension or diabetes. Age and gender also increases risk, a male above 50 having more chance of having sleep apnea as compared to a women who is 45 years old.
How do you know you have Sleep Apnea?
People who snores may not be aware if they stop breathing for a few seconds while they sleep, some times their partner notices it and then tehy seek medical help, other wise sleep apnea get unnoted until a person get very tired and complains of unrefresh and broken sleep.
Complete the screening questionnaire to know what is your risk of having Sleep Apnea. If your score 3 or higher, contact your health provider to see if sleep study might be helpful.
Can Weight Loss Help?
If you are struggling with sleep apnea and are overweight or obese, medical weight loss will definitely help. Under the guidance of a Medical Doctor (MD) and Registered Dietician (RD) it can be achievable. A Registered Dietician will create a personalized meal plan that focuses on healthy eating, portion control, and balanced nutrition. Losing weight can help reduce the excess tissue in your throat that contributes to obstructive sleep apnea. As you lose weight, the fatty tissue around your airway decreases, reducing the chances of obstruction during sleep. This can lead to improved breathing and a decrease in the frequency of apnea episodes. Once the sleep starts to get better you will feel more refresh and less exhausted.
Key message
- Sleep apnea causes stopping of breathing that affects health
- Weight loss helps
- Seek professional help
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