I am a little confused about the statement "The medical advice I have been given is that it is sleep apneia and I have to loose weight before the sleep centre will do anything about it." Have you had a sleep study? Losing weight and being treated for sleep apnea is not an either/or proposition. If you lost the weight there is a chance you wouldn't need treatment (no guarantee, just a chance), and treatment is designed for those with it, not without it. If a doctor told you you had to lose weight BEFORE being treated, you need a different doctor.
If you have SA, being treated while whatever efforts to lose weight are taking place is important. SA tends to disrupt regulation of appetite hormones and metabolism, making weight loss more difficult, especially with the resulting sleepiness and fatigue.
While the tongue falling back in the throat is probably the most common culprit in obstructive sleep apnea, it is not the only cause. Plus, as another poster mentioned, there are other types of apnea.
If you have had a sleep study that said you have sleep apnea, believe it. If you have not had a sleep study, I think making that happen soon would be at the top of my to do list.
Hello,
Chances are that you are not having obstructive sleep apnea but central or mixed apnea. Central apnea occurs when the part of the brain that controls breathing doesn't start or properly maintain the breathing process.Found commonly in Poliomyelitis,encephalitis ,neurodegnerative diseases ,complications of surgery or radiation therapy to the cervical spine and stroke.
Mixed apnea is a combination of central and obstructive apnea and is seen in individuals who have abnormal control of breathing. Mixed apnea may occur when one is awake or asleep.
Bilevel positive airway pressure (BiPAP) and CPAP devices are helpful in central apnea too.Specific treatment is dependent on the cause.Pls discuss these two options with your doctor.
Hope it helps.Take care and pls do keep me posted on how you are doing.