Sleep Apnea Causes Explained Many of the people nowadays suffer from sleep apnea. Sleep apnea is a kind of sleep disorder wherein there is difficulty breathing during sleep. Sleep apnea came from the Greek word Apnea which means â€œwant of breathâ€?. There are 2 type of sleep apnea. These are the obstructive sleep apnea and central sleep apnea. The obstructive sleep apnea is caused by the blockage of the airways of the throat while central sleep apnea is the inability of the brain to send signals to breathe. This sleep disorder is just common but it could be serious when not treated. The signs and symptoms of this are not usually obvious since they might be overlooked by the person himself. Usually, the first person that notices the abnormality of the breathing of the patient is the wife or husband or any of the family members in the house. Thus, prevention is better than curing it. To be able to do so, learning about sleep apnea causes would be of great help.
This article will explain in details some of the common sleep apnea causes. Obesity is primarily one of the causes of this disorder. When we say obesity, it means having 20% more of the average weight of a person or the desirable weight. Obese people tend develop excessive fat and soft tissues in the throat obstructs the passage of the air. It noted that 60-70% of people with sleep apnea are obese. Gastroesophageal reflux disease is also one of the sleep apnea causes. A person with this disease has acid reflux which creeps into the esophagus thus, damaging the throat and the vocal cords. Once the throat and the vocal cords are damaged, there is obstruction during sleep that causes apnea. Unfortunately, there are people who were already born to have some physical causes of sleep apnea. Bone structure of the head and neck results to having small airways which obstruct the breathing. Having large tonsils and adenoids can block the passage way of the air causing sleep apnea.
Aside from the abovementioned, the peopleâ€™s choice in their lifestyles can cause sleep apnea. Basically, sleep apnea is related to the problems of the throat which is the passage of the air. Smoking damages the lings as well as the throat causing the closure of the airways. Also, drinking alcohol too much and taking different medications make it harder for the person to breathe normal while asleep. Thus, avoiding vices such as smoking, drinking and taking of drugs would be of great help to prevent sleep apnea. Aside from that, lack of sleep and too much stress cause this kind of sleep disorder. The right treatment for sleep apnea usually depends on the sleep apnea causes. Thus, knowing the cause of the disorder would give the doctor the right information to diagnose the patient.
Published on Apr 20, 2010
Gastroesophageal reflux disease is also one of the sleep apnea causes. A person with this disease has acid reflux which creeps into the esop...