Every night you experience the same thing — tossing, turning, awake, then asleep, loud snoring, jerky movements — and you are in a continual state of sleepiness during the day. You may have a condition called obstructive sleep apnea (OSA), a sleep-related airway blockage due to narrowing or occlusion of the upper airway.

Factors that can cause OSA include age, tobacco use, alcohol consumption, anatomical features (neck circumference over 16 inches), and even enlarged tonsils or adenoids. But obesity is usually one of the main contributing factors to this life-threatening condition. Read more…