Sleep apnea is a sleeping disorder where breathing stops and starts throughout the night.
There are three different types of sleep apnea:
Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA)
a common form of sleep apnea that occurs when the throat muscles relax
Central sleep apnea (CSA)
when the brain doesn’t send proper signals to the muscles that control breathing
Complex sleep apnea syndrome
(aka treatment-emergent central sleep apnea) having both OSA and CSA
What causes Sleep Apnea?
Obstructive sleep apnea and central sleep apnea are caused by different things.
OSA occurs when the muscles in the back of the throat relax, causing your airways to narrow or close when you inhale and preventing enough oxygen from entering your lungs. Your brain senses you are unable to breathe and will very briefly wake you in order to reopen your airways. You may make a snorting, choking, or gasping sound when you wake, and this process can occur 5 to 30 times or more per hour throughout the night. This prevents you from getting a good night's sleep and you'll likely feel tired the next day.
CSA is much more uncommon than OSA, and is caused by your brain failing to communicate with your breathing muscles. This causes you to stop breathing for a short period of time. If you have CSA, you may awaken with shortness of breath, have trouble falling asleep, or have trouble staying asleep.
Smokers are three times more likely to have OSA than those who have never smoked. Smoking may increase the amount of inflammation and fluid retention in the upper airway. This risk is likely to drop after you quit smoking.
