Some patients who have recently had a heart attack are at greater risk of OSA, so doctors often recommend that patients undergo screening for OSA. Many patients who get their OSA under control will see small decreases in their blood pressure. People with OSA usually have high blood pressure (hypertension). For heart failure patients, OSA can make their condition worse because of the stress it places on the heart during sleep. Obstructive sleep apnea is also very common in patients with heart failure. Doctors do not know whether people with OSA are at greater risk of these conditions or if their OSA and heart problems are caused by other risk factors, such as obesity. The link between OSA and coronary artery disease (CAD), heart attack, and stroke is still unclear. What is the link between OSA and heart problems? An underactive thyroid gland (called hypothyroidism).Men have a greater risk than women for OSA, but a woman’s risk seems to increase after menopause. What are the risk factors for OSA?īeing overweight or obese are the main risk factors for OSA. Because OSA can happen so many times in one night, you may never reach the deep stages of sleep that your body and brain need to feel really rested. You then fall asleep again right away, so, in the morning, you probably will not remember waking up during the night. At this point, it is your body’s natural reaction to wake you up, usually with a snorting or choking sound. If your airway becomes blocked, your breathing slows or stops altogether. In people with OSA, the muscles relax so much that the soft palate tissue collapses and blocks the airway. But as you fall asleep, these muscles start to relax. While you are awake, the muscles around the soft palate keep your airway open. What causes OSA?ĭoctors think that OSA is caused by the soft, fleshy tissue at the back of the throat (called the soft palate). People with OSA actually stop breathing while they are asleep-sometimes for more than a minute and as often as 60 times a night. Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is a disorder that affects more than 18 million Americans, and many of them do not even know they have it.
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