Double chin and smoking 'can lead to need for oxygen therapy'
Obesity, a double chin and smoking all increase the risk of suffering from obstructive sleep apnoea (OSA), which could lead to a need for oxygen therapy.
The Independent said that severe OSA almost always needs to be treated, with the Department of Health now having allocated funding to research the condition.
Oxygen therapy can be used to help those suffering from the sleep disorder, which sees the muscles in the throat unable to keep the airway open, causing breathing difficulties.
"Up to one in ten of the population, mostly middle-aged men, have their sleep seriously disrupted by OSA, with partners suffering from the noisy snoring that goes with it," the newspaper added.
A recent study from the Karolinska Institutet, published in the British Medical Journal, said that people who want to lower their chance of getting OSA and needing oxygen therapy should lose weight.
It found that people who lost an average of 19 kilos had fewer episodes.
17/12/2009 15:01:18
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