Jack Hanna uses CPAP

Emilia wrote:Have you found that many folks have pre-conceived notions that this is an overweight issue? I know now that when this extreme fatigue first hit me, years ago, I was working out 3x a week at the gym, power walking 15 miles a week, and then...... POW...it was like I hit a brick wall and couldn't do it anymore. The weight came on quickly, which I am sure has exacerbated the problem, but it kinda brings up the analogy of the chicken or the egg.... Were you overweight before or after the apnea took its toll? OR are you another example of a fit, well-nourished cpaper?

IMO, and some physicians opinion, the vast majority of obstructive sleep apnea cases are caused by an underdeveloped jaw which results in a narrow airway. The jaw may be narrow side-to-side or front-to-back. When the muscles in the tongue and soft palate relax during sleep, the narrow airway is blocked.

Symptoms of an underdeveloped jaw are crowded teeth possibly corrected by braces and extractions; wisdom teeth which had to be extracted; recessed chin; and a tongue which is scalloped on the sides where it is jammed against the teeth.

Why do we have underdeveloped jaws? It is the modern diet. In the old days, many foods required a lot of chewing in order to consume enough calories. During the developing years, the chewing put stress on the jaw skeletion which caused it to grow wide and deep. Today, with minimal chewing during the developing years, the jaw is left undersized.

Gaining weight, especially while eating well and exercising regularly, is often the result of untreated sleep apnea. It has been commonly believed that weight gain causes sleep apnea. I believe underdeveloped jaws cause sleep apnea and the damage to sleep and the hormone system causes weight gain. The weight gain can cause the apnea to worsen and worse apnea causes more weight gain - the so-called deadly circle.