Physical Cause Of Sleep Apnea

Obstructive sleep apnea occurs when the muscles in the back of your throat relax too much to allow normal breathing.

These muscles support structures including the soft palate, the uvula — a triangular piece of tissue hanging from the soft palate, and the tonsils.

The base of the tongue may also be involved. Anyone or more of these areas may be affected and contribute to obstructive sleep apnea.

Here are some reasons.

Firstly, you are quite likely to inherit a naturally narrow throat.

If anyone in your family shows symptoms of apnea, you may also have it. This is why your doctor should ask about your family history.

When your tongue and/or tonsils and adenoids are large compared to the opening into your windpipe, they can block the throat.

Tonsils and adenoids can be removed but repositioning the large tongue with mouth devices during sleep is the best way to solve this problem.

Throat and/or tongue muscles that relax too much during sleep, usually due to lack of muscle tone will close up the airway.

This is also true of people over 55, a natural part of aging.

A deviated septum (the cartilege dividing your nostrils) will allow less air into the airway on one side.

I had an operation to correct this defect, but it was not the only physical cause, and just delayed the problem.

An unusual head shape, for instance a small underslung jaw or an overbite.

This conformation is sometimes a physical cause of sleep apnea cause.

Being male. In general, men are twice as likely to have obstructive sleep apnea than women.

Of the women who do have it, a large percentage are postmenopausal. However older people anyway are more likely to suffer, as one loses muscle tone as one ages and so the throat muscles are softer.

Being black, Hispanic or a Pacific Islander.

Among people under age 35, obstructive sleep apnea is more common in blacks, Hispanics and Pacific Islanders, as they have physical characteristics in common.

Another physical cause of sleep apnea is high blood pressure (hypertension) or diabetes.

Obstructive sleep apnea is relatively common in people with hypertension and diabetes and both are also seen as being a result of apnea.

Having chronic nasal congestion.

Obstructive sleep apnea occurs twice as often in those who have consistent nasal congestion at night, due to swelling of the membranes. This could be hay fever or allergies to dust mites, pet dander or other irritants.

A chronic respiratory disease could be a physical cause of sleep apnea.

For instance, young women with asthma are twice as likely to experience habitual snoring, which is one of the main symptoms of sleep apnea.

GERD or gastro esophageal reflux disease is a possible cause.

Acid reflux can be responsible for GERD and esophageal tissues get damaged when stomach acid seeps into the esophagus.

Chronic acid reflux can cause scars inside the throat, physically causing obstructions resulting in apnea.

Sleep apnea and weight gain are closely linked.

Loss of weight influences apnea directly, even a small decrease in mass makes a difference.

Obesity and snoring are just as closely related. Fatty tissue lines the throat in proportion to the fat on the rest of the body.

Summary.

Heredity, posture, obesity, large tongue or tonsils/adenoids, soft throat muscles, head shape, hypertension or diabetes, chronic nasal congestion, alcohol or sedatives, stress, chronic respiratory disease, black Hispanic or Pacific Island roots.

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