WHO GETS SLEEP APNEA?

Sleep apnea occurs in all age groups and both sexes but is more common in men. It has been estimated that as many as 18 million Americans have sleep apnea. Four percent of middle-aged men and 2 percent of middle-aged women have sleep apnea along with excessive daytime sleepiness. People most likely to have or develop sleep apnea include those who snore loudly and also are overweight, or have high blood pressure, or have some physical abnormality in the nose, throat, or other parts of the upper airway. Sleep apnea seems to run in some families, suggesting a possible genetic basis.

WHAT CAUSES SLEEP APNEA?

In some people, apnea occurs when the throat muscles and tongue relax during sleep and partially block the opening of the airway.

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 narrow. Air travels faster in narrow tubes compared to broad ones and as a result the fast moving air causes these saggy relaxed tissues to vibrate. this vibration is what is commonly known as snoring. It is possible in some cases for the breathing to be stopped altogether.

Sleep apnea also can occur in obese people when an excess amount of tissue in the airway causes it to be narrowed. With a narrowed airway, the person continues his or her efforts to breath, but air cannot easily flow into or out of the nose or mouth. Unknown to the person, this results in heavy snoring, periods of no breathing, and frequent arousals (causing abrupt changes from deep sleep to light sleep). Ingestion of alcohol and sleeping pills increases the frequency and duration of breathing pauses in people with sleep apnea.