Bariatric Surgery Does Not Cure Sleep Apnea

Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is common among people who are obese and many of these people turn to bariatric surgery to achieve a healthier weight.  Many bariatric surgery patients say their OSA goes away or becomes more bearable after bariatric surgery and many post-surgery bariatric patients choose to discontinue treatment for OSA. Read more

Sleep Apnea Can Have Fatal Consequences

Sleep apnea is keeping between 12 million and 18 million Americans awake at night although many of these people don’t even know they have it. A new study has linked sleep apnea, also called sleep-disordered breathing, to a significantly greater risk of dying from any cause. The risk of death is even greater when the disorder is untreated. Read more

Sleep Apnea Affects Brain Tissue, Impairs Memory

Sleep apnea, which affects close to 20 million Americans, occurs when the muscles of the throat relax so much during sleep that the flow of air is blocked.  When air flow is blocked, so is the flow of oxygen to the brain.  Sleepers often snore excessively, wake violently, gasping for air, before falling back to sleep.  This cycle of sleeping-gasping-waking can happen hundreds of times every night. Read more