This year, did you resolve to get in shape and lose weight? Are you having trouble sticking to it? Do you need an extra motivation? If so, then consider your risk of obstructive sleep apnea. Your risk of obstructive sleep apnea increases as your BMI increases. If you have a BMI of 30 or greater (are medically obese), you are more likely to suffer sleep apnea and are more likely to have a severe form of the disease.
Sleep apnea sufferers are at a greater risk for:
- Heart attack
- Stroke
- Mental health problems
- Cognitive decline
- Car and work accidents
- Many other conditions
Learn all about the dangers of obstructive sleep apnea. If you have a more severe form of the condition, you can generally only get treatment with continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP), a treatment option with a low compliance rate because many consider it uncomfortable and inconvenient. CPAP with poor compliance is approximately the same as getting no treatment at all. Sometimes, losing weight can reduce the severity of your sleep apnea to the point that you may become a good candidate for oral appliance therapy or other treatment options.
Whether you are overweight or not, if you have some of the symptoms of sleep apnea, you need to undergo a sleep study to determine whether you are suffering from this potentially deadly condition.
To learn more about sleep apnea and its treatment options, contact a local sleep dentist.