Sleep Apnea Causes
Sleep apnea is a medical anomaly that may have some causes that sleep researchers and physicians have not thoroughly identified yet. However, the majority of the affliction’s causes are well-known and all but thoroughly understood. Furthermore, the causes of sleep apnea are, for the most part, entirely treatable to the extent that over time, the affliction can be avoided in the future with little more than the patient enacting lifestyle changes and medical treatment.
Sleep apnea is a disorder where the sufferer stops breathing during intervals throughout their sleeping period. The most common cause of sleep apnea is known to be narrowed or blocked airways in the throat, the mouth, the nose, or any combination of the three. These airways can become blocked by the muscles that line the throat or other airways and even the tongue.
Sometimes, sleep apnea can be caused by enlarged adenoids, tonsils, or even a large uvula. These enlargements often do not bother the sleep apnea sufferer during normal waking hours because they are more inclined to be in a standing or otherwise upright position for the majority of the time. Furthermore, it is the body’s instinct to keep the muscles lining the throat and airwaves at varying points of restriction during waking hours. However, during sleep these muscles will relax, causing the breathing restrictions that, in turn, cause the sleep apnea to appear.
Another possible sleep apnea cause is problems with the jaw bone and other facial structures. Physicians have diagnosed patients with sleep apnea caused by even a slight misalignment of the facial bones, causing undue stress or pressure to be placed on the soft tissue surrounding the nasal passages and airways.
Children that are suffering from sleep apnea often have enlarged adenoids or tonsils. Fortunately, the practice of removing children’s tonsils or even surgically minimizing their obstructive behavior is a common practice and can be performed with relatively little adverse effects.
The vast majority of adult sleep apnea sufferers are overweight or even obese. The reason for this is that obese persons frequently lack defined muscle tone in their necks and frequently have more fatty tissue surrounding their air ways. The excess weight of the fatty tissue rests on the already-weak muscles lining the throat passages causing blockage and the resulting apnea symptoms.
Finally, persons that frequently utilize certain drugs or alcohol before bedtime can be afflicted with sleep apnea due to the abnormal relaxing affects these substances may have. These sufferers can often remedy their sleep apnea in a relatively short amount of time simply by discontinuing use of these substances.