Obstructive Sleep Apnea – Causes of Sleep Apnea
Obstructive sleep apnea is the most common form of apnea. It is characterized by repeated episodes of irregular breathing caused by a blockage of the air passages in your throat. Basically the soft tissue at the back of your throat collapses during sleep making it difficult to breathe. Unlike central sleep apnea, this condition is a result of not being able to breathe versus having your body simply not breathe.
Obstructive sleep apnea reduces the flow of oxygen to vital organs, including your heart and lungs. When a person is experiencing sleep apnea episode, the chest muscles and diaphragm have to work much harder to open the air pathways. Typically normal breathing resumes after a loud gasp or body flinch. It is extremely common for someone with sleep apnea to wake themselves up numerous times each night.
What are the symptoms of obstructive sleep apnea?
Typical symptoms include daytime fatigue, headaches early in the day, having a sore throat upon waking up in the morning, snoring and waking up numerous times during the night. Many times a spouse notices these symptoms first and may be able to help determine just how often you wake up each night.