A Cure for O.S.A.

[SuperSleeper]

I take it someone has been playing with code? either that or Paula got fed up of my "Big Pictures"

Yep, see the post in the Master Members forum - we added a thingie to re-size large posts so they don't go off the edge of the screen. You can still see them in full size by clicking on the yellow bar.

[PollCat]

That caulk board reminds me of calculus classes... not a good memory at all...

Funny; that chalk board reminds me of why I changed my college major from math to accounting!

[oldteddybear]

2+2=3 for small values of 2
2+2=4 for regular values of 2
2+2=5 for large values of 2

As for me I have a 21" neck, wear a 8 1/8 hat, and if I had normal ratio leg length (short because of a childhood accident) I would be almost 8 ft tall. I have been a loud snorer all of my life and can snore in all sleeping positions. Need to lose some weight (well a lot of weight) but would be in low bmi if I was in the normal ratio body that BMI assumes.

For all of the bad indications the other info points the other way.

In a chloresterol test my Doctor stated that I was off the very low end of the chart but good, Blood pressure good, blood sugar good.

[Dreamcatcher]

So why do doctors and other continue to mumble on about weight loss. I know the truth as Ive done it, went to the gym worked out lost weight, did it make a difference NO!

I just wished that people would stop mixing weight with OSA. I know that weight gain will have an effect on my sleep apnea but it will also have an effect on my computer chair. What I want to know is, one day I was fine, the next, sleep apnea. Why? Is it genetics, is it that something went wrong in my neck overnight? An answer is not too much to ask, is it?

[greatunclebill]

So why do doctors and other continue to mumble on about weight loss. I know the truth as Ive done it, went to the gym worked out lost weight, did it make a difference NO!

I just wished that people would stop mixing weight with OSA. I know that weight gain will have an effect on my sleep apnea but it will also have an effect on my computer chair. What I want to know is, one day I was fine, the next, sleep apnea. Why? Is it genetics, is it that something went wrong in my neck overnight? An answer is not too much to ask, is it?

weight loss is always good for any number of reasons and is probably mentioned to alot of people by doctors. to tell the truth i hear more about snoring than weight in connection with apnea.

read my posts again. i explained it. one day you feel like you're tired and tell the doctor. he diagnoses sleep apnea. that's not when you "got" sleep apnea. you always had the physical condition that got worse as your body aged and could no longer compensate. it's the same as bifocals. your eyes don't suddenly go bad. they were always like that pretty much but compensated until they could no longer do it and you got headaches. of course i'm speaking of the average person.

once again, these are questions for the doctor. he knows your medical history and condition.

[cbramsey]

I know for me losing 120 lbs did NOT cure my sleep apnea. I was hoping it would have. *Sigh*

I had bad genetics on my side because my father snored like a freight train. He was never officially diagnosed with OSA so I can only suppose.

[Sleepster]

There's a correlation between obesity and OSA. Doesn't mean that being obese caused you to have OSA, or that being skinny prevented you from having OSA.

What I've heard is that if gaining weight caused your OSA, then losing weight can relieve your OSA. Regardless, if you have OSA you need to be on CPAP therapy. If you think that losing weight will relieve your OSA, then CPAP therapy will help you lose that weight.

[PaulaO2]

Our bodies have a preset concept of "normal". Some people can eat an entire box of ice cream and not gain a pound. Some of us gain 5lb just looking at the box.

That concept of "normal" can be reset but it takes a while. The longer we are overweight, the longer it takes to lose it and keep it off. Then, the longer we keep our weight down, our bodies may start to slowly accept that as normal. That can take time. Years. This is why losing weight slowly is best. It's why we hit weight loss plateaus. It's why some people are always going to be overweight.

The same works with anti-depressants and other medication. It is why we have to switch meds every few years. Our body/brain is fighting like mad to get back to "normal" and the meds become less and less effective.

[andrel]

I am under CPAP treatment since 2000. 3 years ago, I've lost 125 pounds (going from 315 to 190) and I still needed my CPAP. I've tried to sleep without it for 4 nights in a row, and while I slept quite well on the first night, the second was not so good, and things went worse and worse for the third ans fourth night. After a calibration test at the hospital, they reajusted my pressure from 12 to 8 though, so it is better. Not gone, but better. (I've gained back some wight since then and had to reajust to a pressure of 10)

Weight is an aggravating factor, but not the only cause.

André
p.s.: Sorry for my english - I' french-speaking ...