OSA - Causes:

Factors causing sleep apnea can be divided into two main components:

Structural Decreased hypoglossal muscle tone allowing the tongue to fall back and obstruct the airway. Malformations of the jaw or oropharynx Excess facial and neck tissue due to obesity Abnormally narrow airway due to tumors, growths, etc Chemical Substances such as alcohol and sleeping pills increase the frequency and length of breathing pauses.

 

Effects:

The effects of sleep apnea are wide ranging and can be simply bothersome or can be more severe and even life threatening.

The most common reported effects of sleep apnea include:

• Daytime somnolence sometimes cited as "excessive daytime sleepiness"
• Irritability and/or depression
• Difficulty paying attention during the day
• Learning and memory difficulties

Other more serious effects of sleep apnea include possible hypertension and increased risk for heart attack or stroke. Although these relationships are not yet fully understood, there does appear to be a correlation between sleep apnea and hypertension, perhaps due to the hypoxemia accompanying the apneic episodes. Sleep apnea has also been linked to SIDS cases in infants as well.