April 2, 2026

Woman diagnosed with sleep apnea takes matters into own hands

Los Angeles Times
Weight gain can bring unexpected health challenges, and for one woman, it led to the diagnosis of sleep apnea. After giving birth to her daughter, a Reddit user named Erica, became aware of her own snoring and was diagnosed with sleep apnea. The cause was a 70-pound weight gain during pregnancy. She was advised by her doctor to lose weight to relieve the symptoms. She followed that advice and lost her pregnancy weight. Excess weight can contribute to or exacerbate the condition, and patients are encouraged to lose weight to alleviate symptoms, according to experts.

"Sleep apnea often gets worse with extra weight, especially around the neck and upper airway. That extra tissue can make the airway narrower, which increases the chances of it collapsing during sleep," Dr. Hussain Ahmad, a hospital doctor with 10 years of experience, told Newsweek. “When someone loses a lot of weight, it reduces that pressure and can improve or even reverse sleep apnea. It doesn't happen for everyone, but in many cases—especially if the apnea was mild to moderate—weight loss can make a big difference."

Learn more about Erica’s weight loss journey and how it helped her sleep apnea .