What Causes Sleep Apnea?  

When you are diagnosed with sleep apnea or someone you love has been, you want to know the cause. While this condition has been the focus of many studies, medical researchers are not in full agreement about the causes of sleep apnea.  Understanding the types of sleep apnea and several underlying conditions may give you a clearer picture of what causes or perhaps contributes to sleep apnea. 

Types of Sleep Apnea 

You should understand that there are many different types of sleep apnea, so the causes are probably many. Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is the most common apnea type and is caused by an obstruction to the breathing.  In this type of apnea, pathways that allow air to flow in the nose or throat either close or collapse, thereby diminishing the normal breathing pattern, causing the apnea.  

A more rare type of sleep apnea is central sleep apnea (CSA)  and is the result of a miscommunication between the brain and the central nervous system that instructs the body to breathe. A stroke or a disease or injury to the brain often causes this type of sleep apnea.

Mixed sleep apnea is a combination of the first and second types and the prescribed treatment must take both conditions into account. Merely opening the airways is not usually sufficient to help a person with this type of sleep apnea.  

Common Underlying Conditions 

Doctors don’t fully agree on the cause of apnea but there are some conditions that may be present in those who have sleep apnea of any type. Physically, if a person's neck or throat is narrow, it will create a smaller passage for air to flow, which may contribute to the development of sleep apnea. In addition, large tonsils, adenoids, an enlarged tongue or even a receding chin are often seen in people with sleep apnea, although this may not be a cause but a contributing factor.  

Obesity is thought by many to be a contributing factor to sleep apnea. Smoking or drinking alcohol may contribute to the onset of this disease, either by damaging the tissues of the throat or by providing a sedative effect.

A family history has been determined to be a cause of sleep apnea, possibly resulting from inherited malformations of the neck or throat tissues. Heart disease is also thought as a risk factor of heart disease.  While there is no definitive cause, researchers are getting closer every day to finding the causes of apnea so hopefully in the future new cases can help to be avoided.