Affecting over 100 million around the globe, sleep apnea is a serious sleep disorder marked by frequent pauses in breathing during sleep. People with untreated sleep apnea repeatedly stop and start breathing during the night which can reduce the body’s supply of oxygen, causing a number of serious health issues such as hypertension, stroke, insomnia, and heart attacks.
If you’re a loud snorer, find it difficult to breathe at night, and feel sleepy even after a long night’s sleep, you may be suffering from sleep apnea. But have you ever wondered what may be the cause behind this disorder?
Knowing what causes sleep apnea can help you better understand this disorder and its potential impact on one’s health. Continue reading to learn what are the causes of sleep apnea and its risk factors.
What Are The Symptoms Of Sleep Apnea?
In most cases, the initial signs and symptoms of sleep apnea are not observed by the patient themselves but rather by the person sleeping next to them. Here are some of the most common signs and symptoms of sleep apnea:
- Loud snoring
- Feelings of lethargy during the day
- Morning headaches
- Insomnia
- Irritability
- Suddenly waking up in the night gasping for air
- Limited attention span
- Dry or sore throat in the morning
- Forgetfulness
Nocturia (frequent nighttime urination)
What Causes Sleep Apnea?
There are mainly two types of sleep apnea: obstructive sleep apnea and central sleep apnea. The difference between the two is characterized by their underlying causes.
Obstructive sleep apnea is the type of sleep apnea where your upper airways are either partially or completely obstructed. As a result, your respiratory muscles have to work harder to open up the obstructed airway and allow air to move into your lungs. This results in episodic periods of lapse in breathing.
On the other hand, central sleep apnea is caused by a disorder in your lower brain stem, the part of your brain that controls your breathing. Unlike obstructive sleep apnea, central sleep apnea isn’t caused because you can’t breathe, but rather because your brain is unable to send signals correctly to your respiratory muscles the right way. This is what causes you to stop breathing episodically during your sleep.
While central sleep apnea is rare and typically caused due to an underlying medical condition affecting the lower brain stem such as a stroke or brain tumor only, a number of different causes of obstructive sleep apnea have been found.
Here are some of the most common causes of obstructive sleep apnea:
Obesity
Being overweight is one of the most common causes of sleep apnea. When a person gains fat, that fat is stored throughout their body, including their neck. These fat deposits around the neck and the palate make your airways much narrower, increasing the chances of them closing up while you are sleeping. In fact, one research suggests that a 10% increase in body weight may result in a six-times increase in the risk of developing obstructive sleep apnea.
Anatomical Characteristics
Your body’s natural anatomy may also increase your risk of getting sleep apnea. The size and positioning of certain structures such as your tonsils, jaw, adenoids, and tongue can severely affect the airflow through your airways. In fact, enlarged tonsils and adenoids are one of the most common causes of sleep apnea in children.
Alcohol or Medication
Consuming alcohol or certain medications such as sedatives can cause the muscles and tissues surrounding your airways to relax, collapsing your airways. This increases the risk of obstructive sleep apnea significantly.
Smoking
People who smoke are at a much higher risk of developing sleep apnea than non-smokers. This is because the smoke causes the inflammation of your upper airways which can lead to narrowing of the passageways that allow air to reach your lungs.
Hormonal Imbalance
Imbalances in the level of certain hormones in your body such as the thyroid or growth hormone are also one of possible causes of sleep apnea. Imbalances in these hormone levels not only contribute to obesity but also cause the swelling of the tissue near your airway, restricting the flow of air through it.
Chronic Nasal Congestion
Having a stuffed nose is also one of the causes of sleep apnea. People who have persistent nasal congestion have narrower airways thus increasing the risk of developing sleep apnea.
Sleeping Position
Apart from the quality of sleep you get, your sleeping position also determines whether or not you may develop sleep apnea or not. Research suggests that sleeping on your back makes it much easier for the tissues of your upper airways to collapse due to the influence of gravity. This restricts your airways and reduces the amount of air reaching your lungs.
Final Thoughts
Now that you know what are the causes of sleep apnea, you can lower your risk of developing the disorder by avoiding the risk factors that you have control over. If you think that you have sleep apnea or are experiencing any of the common symptoms of sleep apnea, reach out to a healthcare professional today.
