The Various Causes Of Sleep Apnea
Sleep apnea is a medical condition in which a person is not able to breathe for 10 seconds at a stretch when asleep. Several such incidents of breathing difficulties may occur during a sleep session. One obvious question that may pop up is what causes sleep apnea. There are several causes of sleep apnea. These causes include structural abnormalities in the upper airways, face, or skull that result in the blockage of airways and cause a reduction in the air pressure.
One sleep apnea cause is the abnormality in the tissues that line the back of the mouth and extend from there up to the esophagus. Another such cause is the enlargement of the soft palate. Physiological abnormalities can cause sleep apnea. Such abnormalities include metabolic, nerve-related, and mechanical abnormalities. Poor muscle tone in the upper airways, improper reflexes, abnormalities in the central nervous system or brain, and improper regulation of the level of carbon dioxide can all contribute as risk factors.
Obesity has a strong correlation with sleep apnea. Statistics have shown that obese persons are more likely to be afflicted with sleep apnea. One pointed indication that suggests this is that excess fatty cells have been found to clog the throat tissue in obese people who have the medical condition.
Other contributing factors for this include greater airway pressure in obese sleep apnea patients. It has been found that narrowing of the airways is a characteristic feature in obese sleep apnea patients. It has been further found that obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) itself increases the tendency towards obesity. This is in view of the sedentary life that most patients of OSA lead. Chronic snoring may itself be an indication towards sleep apnea. The vibration of the soft palate tissue during snoring helps stretch it. In such cases, the collapse of the palate and resulting obstruction lead to sleep apnea. However, it is important to note that snoring does not always cause sleep apnea. In addition to this, snoring also is not always an indication of sleep apnea. Snoring by itself does not impact health. However, it does cause day time sleepiness due to disturbances in night time sleep that is also a characteristic of the sleep apnea condition. Breathing per mouth during childhood can also cause sleep apnea. This is because it can cause a person to have a receding chin, a longer face, and a narrowing jaw. In small children, the causes of the condition include abnormalities in the skull or face structure. In them, the causes of sleep apnea also include enlarged adenoids or tonsils or both. In such children, removal of the obstructing organs through surgery is the alternative. Pre-term babies may have sleep apnea that is related to lung or respiratory issues.
Sleep Apnea
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