An Overview of the Causes of Sleep Apnea
The most common type of
sleep apnea is obstructive sleep apnea (OSA). It is caused by relaxation of soft tissue in the back of the throat, and this blocks the passage of air. Central sleep apnea (CSA) is caused by irregularities in the brain's normal signals to breathe. Most people with sleep apnea will have a combination of both types.
Causes of Obstructive Sleep Apnea
Intermittent (coming and going) blockage in some part of the upper airways, often due to the throat muscles and tongue relaxing during sleep, can cause sleep apnea. When the muscles of the soft palate at the base of the tongue and the uvula (the small fleshy tissue hanging from the center of the back of the throat) relax and sag, the airway becomes blocked.
When your throat is blocked during sleep, not enough air flows into your lungs, despite continuing efforts to breathe. Your breathing may become hard and noisy and may even stop for short periods of time (apneas).
With pauses in breathing, the level of oxygen in your blood may drop.
Causes of Central Sleep Apnea
Central apnea is a type of sleep apnea that happens when the area of your brain that controls your breathing doesn't send the correct signals to the muscles involved with breathing. There is then no effort to breathe at all for brief periods. Snoring does not typically occur in people with central apnea.
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