What Causes Sleep Apnea?

“Sleep apnea can be caused by multiple factors. Finding out why you have sleep apnea is as important as what course of action you have to treat sleep apnea,” says Dr.Anna Lee.

Obstructive sleep apnea occurs when the muscles in the back of the throat relax. When the muscles relax, the airway narrows and prevents air from flowing into and out of the lungs. The lack of air flow lowers the level of oxygen in the blood and triggers the brain to disrupt the sleep. This disruption helps to reopen the airway and normal breathing starts again, often with a loud snort or choking sound.

The snoring, choking or gasping sound can repeat 5 to 30 times or more each hour, all night long.  These disruptions impair sleep quality and can trigger the release of stress hormones.  These stress hormones raise the heart rate and increase the risk for high blood pressure, heart attack, stroke and arrhythmias (irregular heartbeats).

For more information on sleep apnea, contact Dr. Lee and her team today!