Sleep Apnea and The Gut Microbiome

In America 35% of adults suffer from sleep apnea. Race, age, lifestyle, and geographical location seem to affect the risk factor of developing sleep apnea even more than if you are a a male or a female. Within lifestyle obesity ranks at the very top increasing your risk by 33%. In addition people who have sleep apnea are more likely to suffer from 10 particular chronic diseases including heart attack, coronary heart disease, stroke, asthma, cancer, arthritis, depression, and diabetes.

When looking at reducing the risk of sleep apnea we can definitely control several of those factors. While we cannot change our race or our current age. We can address our lifestyle and geographical location. The area in America with the lowest incidence of sleep apnea are the Great Plains, go figure. Lifestyle changes can include reducing or eliminating smoking, alcohol consumption, becoming more active and having a normal BMI. Furthermore, given that studies have shown treatment of gut dysbiosis, an imbalance in the gut microbiome, through manipulation of the human microbiome could in fact be a viable treatment option for obstructive sleep apnea. It is imperative that we look at our food intake, drug usage, and toxic load. Addressing the healing of your gut microbiome will result in a reduction of your risk by two to three fold depending on your current lifestyle.

Part of addressing and treating gut dysbiosis results in having an increase in activity, reduction of aggravates like smoking and alcohol usage as well as management of your BMI.

Sleep apnea is the number one cause of sudden death in adults and small changes in lifestyle like weight reduction can reduce your risk of sudden death by 33%. This disease is not one that should be taken lightly. Medical intervention is crucial and necessary to allow proper oxygen intake during sleep. Weight-loss is not achievable without good sleep and in fact research shows it is a vicious cycle where one enables the other. Sleep apnea symptoms are treated by using a CPAP machine and while it might not be the most comfortable medical solution it is a life saving one.

It is critical that this is understood by my clients who suffer from sleep apnea. While I encourage, always, taking control of your health our medical community is the source of critical care intervention. The majority if not all can address their sleep apnea, and through advice of their doctors, eliminate the use of the CPAP machines.

Addressing your sleep apnea can be scary and confusing but having a coach along with you through the journey will offer the necessary support.

RESOURCES

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/26711739/

https://www.cdc.gov/sleep/data_statistics.html