What Causes Sleep Apnea?

Do you ever wake up and feel exhausted, even after spending 8 hours in bed? Does your partner complain about your loud snoring and pauses your breathing at night? Sleep apnea could be the reason. 

What causes Sleep apnea? Sleep apnea is a condition that causes repeated pauses in breathing during sleep. Each pause lowers your oxygen levels. As a result, your brain briefly wakes you to restart breathing. Most people do not remember these wake-ups. However, they interrupt deep, restful sleep. Over time, this strain can affect your heart, brain and overall health.

At Hello Ortho in Napa and Petaluma, we see how airway health plays an important role in the quality of your sleep. Understanding what sleep apnea is can help you take the right steps towards better rest and long-term wellness. 

The Two Main Causes Of Sleep Apnea

Sleep apnea happens for two main reasons. First your airway becomes blocked during your sleep or your brain doesn’t properly control your breathing. These are the causes that lead to two main types of sleep apnea. 

Obstructive Sleep Apnea (OSA):

This is the most common type of sleep apnea. It occurs when the airflow stops because something blocks your airway. When you are asleep, the muscles in the back of your throat relax. These muscles support your soft palette, tongue, tonsils and throat walls. If this relaxes too much the airway narrows or closes completely. Because of this the air cannot reach your lungs. 

In many cases, the tongue falls backward and blocks the airway. In other cases the soft palette collapses. In both cases your oxygen level drops. Hence, your brain senses danger and briefly wakes you up. You may snort , choke or gasp. Then you sleep again and the cycle repeats. 

This happens from 5 to 30 times per hour or even more. So, even though you stay in bed all night, your body never gets the deep sleep it needs. 

Central Sleep Apnea:

Central sleep apnea has a different cause. Instead of blockage the problem starts in the brain. In this your brain controls the muscles that help you breathe. In central sleep apnea, the brain doesn’t send steady signals to the muscles when you sleep. Because of this, you stop making the effort to breathe. 

Unlike obstructive sleep apnea, this doesn’t cause the airway to collapse. This causes communication problems between the brain and the breathing muscles. Even though it is very uncommon, it can lead to very serious health issues if it is not treated properly.

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What Increases The Risk Of Osa?

There are various factors that increase the risk of airway  blockage during sleep. Some are within your control. Others are not. 

Age:

Sleep apnea can affect people at any age. But the risk increases as you get older. Over time, fatty tissue may build up in the neck and tongue. Therefore, the airway becomes narrower and more likely to collapse. 

Obesity:

Being overweight is one of the strongest contributing factors. Fat in the neck can cause pressure on the breathing passage. This causes the flow of air to be restricted. A person should try to achieve and maintain a healthy weight.

Large Tonsils, Neck Or Tongue

Physical characteristics can cause the airway to be restricted. For example, if the tonsils are large, this can cause the breathing passage to be restricted, especially in children. In the same way, if the neck is thick or the tongue is large, overtime this causes the airway to collapse.

Hormonal Changes And Endocrine Disorders

The size and shape of the face, tongue and breathing passage are all controlled by hormones. If there are hormonal changes in the body, this will increase risk of sleep apnea. This includes disorders like polycystic ovary syndrome, low thyroid hormone and high insulin.

Family History And Genetics

It has been observed that sleep apnea can be hereditary. This means that if you have family members who have sleep apnea, you are more likely to develop sleep apnea as well. This is because your genetic make-up affects the shape of your skull and jaw. In addition to this, you may also be more likely to develop other genetic conditions that can increase the risk of sleep apnea.

Heart Or Kidney Failure

Heart and kidney failure can lead to the accumulation of fluids in the neck. This causes the upper airway to become narrower while you are sleeping.

Lifestyle Habits

Alcohol can cause the muscles in your throat to relax. This leads to the closure of the upper airway. In addition to this, smoking can cause inflammation in the upper airway. This can make breathing more difficult for you.

Sex

It has been observed that men are more likely to develop sleep apnea. Even though it affects both the genders. In addition to this, they are also more likely to develop sleep apnea at a younger age.

What Raises The Risk Of Central Sleep Apnea:

Central sleep apnea is associated with the way the brain controls breathing. There are several factors that raise the risk of central sleep apnea.

Certain Health Conditions:

Brain function is affected by certain health conditions and these conditions have the potential to affect breathing control. These health conditions include heart failure, stroke, ALS and myasthenia gravis. This is because these conditions affect the nervous system and the heart.

Opioid Use:

The use of opioids has the potential to affect breathing control. This is because the long-term use of opioids has the potential to slow the control of breathing. Therefore, the use of opioids increases the risk of central sleep apnea.

Family History and Genetics:

The way the brain controls breathing is associated with genetics. There are certain conditions that are inherited and have the potential to cause central sleep apnea.

Can You Prevent Sleep Apnea?

Not all cases can be prevented. However, there are several things that can be done to help prevent sleep apnea. These include:

• Firstly, maintaining a healthy weight.
• Secondly, eating a heart-healthy diet.
• Thirdly, exercising regularly.

In addition, quitting smoking and drinking alcohol can help prevent sleep apnea.

Why Early Attention Matters

If sleep apnea is not treated, high blood pressure, diabetes, heart disease and stroke may result. Sleep apnea can also cause daytime sleepiness, emotional changes and difficulty concentrating. All these have a way of affecting work, school and other activities. If you are experiencing loud snoring, gasping during sleep and excessive daytime sleepiness, do not take these symptoms lightly if you are in Napa or Petaluma.

We here at Hello Ortho understand this. We take an educated approach to your concerns. Better sleep is important for your health. Better sleep doesn’t just give you more energy; it gives you long-term health.

Are you experiencing sleep apnea? Contact us today to schedule your appointment. We can give you better breathing, better sleep and better waking.