{"id":4498,"date":"2017-08-17T18:59:01","date_gmt":"2017-08-17T18:59:01","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/everyday.ng\/?p=4498"},"modified":"2017-08-17T18:59:01","modified_gmt":"2017-08-17T18:59:01","slug":"obesity-hypoventilation-syndrome-symptoms-and-treatment","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/everyday.ng\/?p=4498","title":{"rendered":"Obesity Hypoventilation Syndrome: Symptoms and Treatment"},"content":{"rendered":"

 
\nDr. Akhilesh Singh,\u00a0<\/strong>New Delhi, India.
\n 
\nObesity hypoventilation syndrome (OHS) is a breathing disorder that affects some obese people. In OHS, poor breathing results in too much carbon dioxide and too little oxygen in the blood.
\nThe cause of OHS isn’t fully known. Researchers think that several factors may work together to cause the disorder.
\nMany people who have OHS also have obstructive sleep apnea. Obstructive sleep apnea is a common disorder in which the airway collapses or is blocked during sleep. This causes pauses in breathing or shallow breaths while you sleep.
\nObstructive sleep apnea disrupts your sleep and causes you to feel very tired during the day.
\nDoctors treat OHS in a number of ways. One way is with positive airway pressure (PAP) machines, which are used during sleep.
\nPAP therapy uses mild air pressure to keep your airways open.
\nOther treatments for OHS include ventilator \u00a0support and medicines.<\/strong>
\n\u00a0OHS occurs with obesity, so your doct<\/strong>or will likely recommend weight loss as part of your treatment plan. Successful weight loss often involves setting goals and making lifestyle changes, such as following a healthy diet and being physically active.
\nWho Is at Risk for Obesity Hypoventilation Syndrome?<\/strong>
\nPeople who are obese are at risk for obesity hypoventilation syndrome (OHS). “Obesity” refers to having too much body fat. People who are obese have body weight that’s greater than what is considered healthy for a certain height.
\nThe most useful measure of obesity is body mass index (BMI). BMI is calculated from your height and weight. In adults, a BMI of 30 or more is considered obese.
\nIf you are obese, you’re at greater risk for OHS if your BMI is 40 or higher. You’re also at greater risk if most of your excess weight is around your waist, rather than at your hips. This is referred to as “abdominal obesity.”
\nOHS tends to occur more often in men than women. At the time of diagnosis, most people are 40 to 60 years old.
\nSigns and Symptoms of Obesity Hypoventilation Syndrome?<\/strong>
\nMany of the signs and symptoms of obesity hypoventilation syndrome (OHS) are the same as those of obstructive sleep apnea. This is because many people who have OHS also have obstructive sleep apnea.
\nOne of the most common signs of obstructive sleep apnea is loud and chronic (ongoing) snoring. Pauses may occur in the snoring. Choking or gasping may follow the pauses.
\nOther symptoms include:<\/strong>
\n\u2022 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 Daytime sleepiness
\n\u2022 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 Morning headaches
\n\u2022 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 Memory, learning, or concentration problems
\n\u2022 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 Feeling irritable or depressed, or having mood swings or personality changes
\nYou also may have rapid, shallow breathing. During a physical exam, your doctor might hear abnormal heart sounds while listening to your heart with a stethoscope. He or she also might notice that the opening to your throat is small and your neck is larger than normal.
\nComplications of Obesity Hypoventilation Syndrome
\nWhen left untreated, OHS can cause serious problems, such as:
\n\u2022 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 Leg edema, which is swelling in the legs caused by fluid in the body’s tissues.
\n\u2022 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 Pulmonary hypertension, which is increased pressure in the pulmonary arteries. These arteries carry blood from your heartto your lungs to pick up oxygen.
\n\u2022 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 Cor pulmonale, which is failure of the right side of the heart.
\n\u2022 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 Secondary erythrocytosis, which is a condition in which the body makes too many red blood cells.
\nHow Is Obesity Hypoventilation Syndrome Treated?<\/strong>
\nTreatments for obesity hypoventilation syndrome (OHS) include breathing support, weight loss, and medicines.
\nThe goals of treating OHS may include:<\/strong>
\n\u2022 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 Supporting and aiding your breathing
\n\u2022 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 Achieving major weight loss
\n\u2022 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 <\/strong>Treating underlying and related conditions
\nHow Can Obesity Hypoventilation Syndrome Be Prevented?<\/strong>
\nYou can prevent obesity hypoventilation syndrome (OHS) by maintaining a healthy weight. However, not everyone who is obese develops OHS. Researchers don’t fully know why only some people who are obese develop the condition.
\nAdopting healthy habits can help you maintain a healthy weight. Many lifestyle habits begin during childhood. So, it’s important to make following a healthy lifestyle a family goal.
\nA healthy diet is an important part of a healthy lifestyle. A healthy diet includes a variety of vegetables and fruits. It also includes whole grains, fat-free or low-fat dairy products, and protein foods, such as lean meats, eggs, poultry without skin, seafood, nuts, seeds, beans, and peas.
\nA healthy diet is low in sodium (salt), added sugars, solid fats, and refined grains. Solid fats are saturated fat and trans fatty acids. Refined grains come from processing whole grains, which results in a loss of nutrients (such as dietary fiber). Examples of refined grains include white rice and white bread.
\nSingh is a healthcare facilitator based in\u00a0New Delhi, India.<\/strong><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

  Dr. Akhilesh Singh,\u00a0New Delhi, India.   Obesity hypoventilation syndrome (OHS) is a breathing disorder that affects some obese people. In OHS, poor breathing results in too much carbon dioxide and too little oxygen in the blood. The cause of OHS isn’t fully known. Researchers think that several factors may work together to cause the […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":7,"featured_media":4499,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[5773],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-4498","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-health"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/everyday.ng\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4498","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/everyday.ng\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/everyday.ng\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/everyday.ng\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/7"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/everyday.ng\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=4498"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/everyday.ng\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4498\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/everyday.ng\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=4498"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/everyday.ng\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=4498"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/everyday.ng\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=4498"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}