Pickwickian Syndrome and Its Consequences on the Human Sleep Cycle
What’s this syndrome about and just how did it get its name?
This problem is often present in obese folks. Their excessive weight leads to strong pressure against the chest walls. Therefore, breathing is disrupted. This syndrome is characterized by an obese person’s difficulty in breathing deeply or rapidly enough. As a result, the blood has less oxygen and more carbon dioxide concentration. This often leads to sleep disruption.
Most syndromes are named after the physician who first finds it. This is not true with Pickwickian syndrome. The name comes from a literary character by Charles Dickens. This is mainly because in Dickens’s 1837 novel CThe Posthumous Papers of the Pickwick Club,” a guy named Joe showed all the the signs of the disorder. The character was obese and experienced difficulty in sleeping. Even though it is known as such, many doctors today call it obesity hypoventilation disorder.
What are the signs and symptoms? What impact does it have on health?
People who suffer from the syndrome often have poor sleep quality, resulting in a lack of sleep. This lack of sleep results in excessive daytime sleepiness. Other symptoms include difficulty staying awake throughout the day and serious drowsiness. Sometimes, it may also cause depression, irritability, and headaches. Drowsiness and headaches are due to the increased level of carbon dioxide in the bloodstream. Low oxygen levels in the bloodstream could also result in heart strain.
People with OHD have a hard time remaining awake throughout the day. Those that experience it end up drifting off to sleep while doing regular day to day tasks. There have been reports connecting the drowsiness brought on by the Pickwickian syndrome to vehicle accidents. This is what’s called driving drowsiness, and it may result in deadly accidents.
What are the ways to treat it?
Because the syndrome is linked with obesity, the most obvious solution is weight loss. This could be realized through common ways such as dieting and exercise. For extreme cases, weight loss surgery might be necessary.
Weight loss, specially in the case of the obese, is a difficult thing to achieve. It requires a great deal of commitment, especially for individuals that work regular jobs. Apart from the difficulty finding the time, weight loss regimens also take lots of time. It’s a gradual process – not quick. Doctors have recognized this, and it’s the reason they’ve come up with treatment methods for breathing assistance. These techniques involve the use of special machines that are invasive or non-invasive. It’s up to the person to choose which option to use. Of course, selecting the option shouldn’t be done just by the patient. It’s best to speak with a physician or specialist prior to taking action.
It’s equally important to remember that the warning signs of OHD have been found in non-obese individuals. Anybody exhibiting symptoms of OHD, obese or not, ought to get checked by a doctor. Treatment is essential to fix the individual’s regular sleep cycle.
Tia Arnold is a physician who has helped many patients that have issues with their sleep cycle. For more information on how to get help with your condition, please read up about pickwickian syndrome and more.
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