5 Major Causes Of Sleep Apnea

1. 5 Major Causes Of Sleep Apnea What is Sleep Apnea? Sleep apnea is a serious condition where an individual stops breathing repeatedly during their sleep. It can cause increased risk of health issues like stroke and high BP (blood pressure). There are two major forms of apnea, first one obstructive is and other is central . Obstructive apnea is the most common form of apnea. It occurs when the airway is blocked due to collapse of the tissue in the back of the throat. Central apnea occurs when the brain fails to tell the body to breathe. According to the B est Dentist in Calgary there are several factors that may cause people to experience occurrences of this ailment and the major 5 causes of sleep apnea are: Obesity Fats that deposits in the neck causes the walls of the windpipe to thicken. These fats constricts the tissues of the airway. As a result the blockage makes it harder to keep the airway passages to remain open. Since weight is a contributing factor, it does not mean that only obese people are affected by sleep apnea. Around 30% of the people that have this medical issue are not overweight. Nasal Obstruction The nasal obstructions restrict the amount of airflow the body receives. A sinus infection, deviated septum, fractured nose are types of nasal obstructions that also affect how a person breathes in their sleep. These issues are usually the cause of obstructive type of apnea. In most situations, correcting these issues can eliminate the problem. Acid Reflux It’s always good to avoid eating heavy foods for a couple of hours before going to bed such as spicy foods and caffeine. Acid reflux contributes to breathing issues during sleep. Acid reflux causes a pressure change in the airways. The vocal cords can start to spasm and affect the amount of air that enters the airway. Relaxed Throat Muscles Consumption of alcohol, medications and sometimes illness can cause the muscles of the throat to relax. When these muscles relax the air passage is restricted. Medications that are prescribed to treat pain, insomnia and allergies can result in the relaxing of the muscle tissues. Alcohol affects the area of the brain that regulates breathing. Serious illness like the ones affect the brainstem is also one of the cause of apnea. Kidney failure and congestive heart failure are other medical problems that may trigger apnea.

2. Physical Features Some people that have issues with sleep apnea experience this condition as a result of the body's physical attributes. Having enlarged tonsil can cause breathing issues. This problem is not noticeable while awake; however, when asleep the tonsils can narrow the airway. Blockages will narrow an airway, but some people have naturally narrow airway passages.The shape of a person's head may also contribute to the occurrence of this condition. These people have an increased likelihood of experiencing sleep apnea. Fortunately, there has been increasing awareness of sleep apnea and people are starting to get screened and receive appropriate treatment. The dentists at W working with Calgary sleep physicians to offer sleep apnea screening and treatment. est Market Dental are currently