Is sleep apnea a result of obesity, or is obesity a cause of sleep apnea.?
Jan.14, 2012 Categories: Sleep Apnea Machine
Question by : Is sleep apnea a result of obesity, or is obesity a cause of sleep apnea.?
My doctor thinks I may have sleep apnea and wants me to be evaluated through a sleep test. Well, my insurance won’t pick that cost up, and it’s an expensive evaluation. Looking at the machines available, it seems a much more cost effective route to pick up a machine, and if there are no perceived benefits, then just put it away. There are several machines that are much more affordable, compared to the cost of the test.
That issue aside . . . I am in fact overweight. And my neck is thick (always has been, even when I was slender and in great physical shape). So taking into consideration the neck thickness issue. I think my most important hurdle is to get my weight down and manage it, along with a healthy diet, and an exercise regimen.
I realize sleep apnea has a detrimental effect on one’s health, and is said to lead to obesity. But from my understanding most people with sleep apnea are in fact overweight. So is weight a larger contributor to sleep apnea . . or is sleep apnea a larger contributor to being overweight?
I just feel that correcting my unhealthy life choices would be much more beneficial, reduce my chances for heart attack, and other related problems, and the lack of excess weight should relieve a lot of burden on my body including help my sleep.
I realize that it isn’t necessarily one or the other . . that a better lifestyle is what one should always shoot for. I just feel the sleep test is an unnecessary cost as I can buy the machine cheaple in comparison to the cost of the test, and also, if i were to consider taking the test . . wouldn’t it make far better sense to get my weight down to a healthy level before shelling out the $$ for a test that will be swayed by my weight in the first place.
Any flaws in my thoughts on this subject?
Best answer:
Answer by Kath
Which came first – the chicken or the egg? This is a hard question to answer, as many people with sleep apnea are overweight, but people with undiagnosed sleep apnea feel the need to eat more due to sleep deprivation and lack of energy.
I have many many customers with sleep apnea who are not overweight, and I myself have sleep apnea and am not overweight. Most sleep apnea is caused by a small jaw. It is my opinion that obese people may be the first to be diagnosed due to being unhealthy, and possibly having other health issues.
Unfortunately, it’s not usually possible to cure sleep apnea through weight loss, as even if the weight is shed, the fat will remain in the neck.
Sleep apnea is a serious ‘condition’ so do your best to get that sleep test. Good Luck!
January 14th, 2012 on 10:00 am
I checked into that already – it is illegal for anyone (ie ebay) to sell a cpap machine to someone who does not have a prescription to use it. Bite the bullet and get a $2,000 sleep study, then screw the CPAP machines, they don’t work for 1/2 the people – instead, take http://nuvigil.com
Weight does play a factor in apnea. I am overweight, but always had apnea even when I was skinny. Only a professional can diagnose you for insurance needs. Good luck!
January 14th, 2012 on 10:02 am
Please note that you should always consult a doctor for official advice! I am not a doctor, I do however have sleep apnea, and have had a diagnosed sleep apnea prognosis for about 7 years now. Probably had it much, much longer. I am over-weight but not necessarily obese. However, one thing you wrote that I disagree with, sleep apnea leads to obesity, NO! Obesity, is a factor for sleep apnea.
Some of the symptoms that I had, and experienced. Poor circulation, abrupt awakenings that led to rapid heart rate (very dangerous whether you are over-weight or not) loss of hair in my lower legs, also indirectly sleep apnea related because of poor circulation. If you lose quality sleep everything is effected from the heart to the lungs to the circulation, brain, etc.
Other related hazards include, loss of life while sleeping, thinks it does not happen (Reggie White ex-NFL superstar) it does, horrific traffic accidents due to falling asleep at the wheel. Many ways to lose your life with health related issues stemming from sleep apnea. How about this, I could not get through a movie, just hours after awaking from a nights sleep, notice I did not say good nights sleep, I never had one while suffering with this.
A solution to your problem, which was totally different from mine, because I had a very good health insurance at the time, I think it was Cigna back in the day, they paid for everything from the stay at the Miami Heart institute, to the machine and supplies. I think total out of pocket for me, back then was about $300.00 not bad. If you have no insurance, or a poor one (there are plenty of those out there) then try a state hospital, they are much more willing to work with people with no or poor insurance plans, than other institutions or hospitals. In Miami, the hospital would be Jackson Memorial, to give you an idea. I wish you speedy success in getting diagnosed and treated. Get ready to commence your life again, energy like you have never experienced in a long while (for me anyway). Incorporate the treatment with a good diet low in carbs, and exercise and …Get your life back!