Obesity hypoventilation syndrome (OHS)
Alternative Names
Pickwickian syndromeSymptoms
The main symptoms of OHS are due to lack of sleep and include:
- Excessive daytime sleepiness
- Falling asleep during the day
- Increased risk for accidents or mistakes at work
- Depression
Symptoms of low blood oxygen level (chronic hypoxia) can also occur, such as shortness of breath or feeling tired after very little effort.
Exams and Tests
People with OHS are usually very overweight. Symptoms of OHS include:
- Bluish color in the lips, fingers, toes, or skin (cyanosis)
- Signs of right-side heart failure (cor pulmonale), such as swollen legs or feet, shortness of breath, or feeling tired after little effort
- Reddish complexion
- A short, thick neck and small airway passage in the mouth
Tests to confirm OHS include:
- Sleep study
- Lung (pulmonary) function
- Arterial blood gas
Doctors can tell OHS from obstructive sleep apnea by high carbon dioxide levels in the blood when a person is awake.
References
Murray J, Nadel J. Textbook of Respiratory Medicine. 3rd ed. Philadelphia, Pa: W.B. Saunders Company; 2000:2326-2328.
Moore DP, Jefferson JW. Handbook of Medical Psychiatry. 2nd ed. St. Louis, Mo: Mosby, Inc; 2004:221-223.
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