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Obesity hypoventilation syndrome (OHS) - Symptom

Pickwickian syndrome

The main symptoms of OHS are due to lack of sleep and include:

Symptoms of low blood oxygen level (chronic hypoxia) can also occur, such as shortness of breath or feeling tired after very little effort.

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:

Doctors can tell OHS from obstructive sleep apnea by high carbon dioxide levels in the blood when a person is awake.

Reviewed last on: 8/10/2007
Allen J. Blaivas, DO, Pulmonary, Critical Care, and Sleep Medicine, Department of Veteran Affairs, VA System, East Orange, NJ. Review provided by VeriMed Healthcare Network.

Murray J, Nadel J. Textbook of Respiratory Medicine. 3^rd 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.