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Obstructive sleep apnea - Causes

Description

An in-depth report on the causes, diagnosis, treatment, and prevention of obstructive sleep apnea.

Causes:

General Causes of Obstructive Sleep Apnea

Structural abnormalities in the face, skull, or airways that cause some obstruction or collapse in the upper airways and reduce air pressure can produce sleep apnea syndrome. People with micrognathia, retrognathia, enlarged tonsils, tongue enlargement, and acromegaly are especially predisposed to obstructive sleep apnea. Abnormalities or weakness in the muscles that surround the airway can also contribute to obstructive sleep apnea.

Problems with the soft palate (the soft tissue at the back of the roof of the mouth) are also associated with many cases of sleep apnea. Obesity can contribute to sleep apnea when fat deposits clog throat tissue.

Causes of Obstructive Sleep Apnea in Children

Sleep apnea occurs in about 2% of children and can occur even in very young children. The most likely causes include:

Facial or skull abnormalities in infants.
Overgrown tonsils, adenoids, or both in small children. (Removal of tonsils or adenoids can free the airways and solve the problem.)
Neuromuscular disorders that affect the muscles in the airways.

Resources

www.sleepapnea.org -- American Sleep Apnea Association
www.aasmnet.org -- American Academy of Sleep Medicine
www.sleepfoundation.org -- National Sleep Foundation
www.nhlbi.nih.gov/sleep -- National Center on Sleep Disorders Research
www.sleepeducation.com -- Sleep Education from the American Academy of Sleep Medicine

References

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Reviewed last on: 6/23/2009
Harvey Simon, MD, Editor-in-Chief, Associate Professor of Medicine, Harvard Medical School; Physician, Massachusetts General Hospital. Also reviewed by David Zieve, MD, MHA, Medical Director, A.D.A.M., Inc.

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