Nocturnal respiratory failure in case of overweight

Being overweight promotes nocturnal breathing interruptions

05/31/2012

Overweight people are at an increased risk for nocturnal breathing. Around 840,000 women and more than 1.5 million men between the ages of 30 and 60 suffer from so-called obstructive sleep apnea in Germany, according to the German Association for Otolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery.

Breathing misfires pose a health hazard
People who snore at night and feel limp and not well asleep during the day and complain of concentration problems could suffer from nocturnal pauses in breathing. Experts talk about obstructive sleep apnea when people have more than five breaths per hour. „During sleep, the muscles around the upper respiratory tract relax very much among those affected, "explains Professor Karl Hörmann, ear, nose and throat specialist and director at the University ENT Clinic in Mannheim," causing the upper part of the pharynx to collapse and there is a disability in the airways and respiratory failure. "

Heavily overweight people are the most at-risk for sleep apnea and are therefore the most affected. The cause of respiratory distress in the obese are the fatty deposits in the upper respiratory tract. The more fat is deposited, the smaller the diameter of the airways. The result is a disturbed irregular breathing. „In severe cases, there is also a risk of developing coronary heart disease, cardiac arrhythmia and type 2 diabetes, or having a stroke, according to studies, "says the ear, nose and throat doctor. „If you reduce your weight by ten percent, you can halve the number of respiratory breaks and thus ease the symptoms. "

Do not sleep on your back
People who suffer from nocturnal pauses in breathing should not lie on their backs while sleeping and avoid sleeping pills, alcohol and nicotine. Often a lifestyle change is essential. Anatomical bottlenecks in the nose and throat area can increase sleep apnea. Polyps, deformations of the nasal septum or enlarged tonsils as a trigger for nocturnal respiratory misfires are possible in this context. In some people, the airways close completely for a short while in sleep. The result is breathing pauses with wake-up reactions that require medical clarification and treatment. (Ag)

Also read:
Otolaryngologists: Tips against snoring
Sleep disorders can trigger hyperactivity