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Causes and risk factors

Ninety percent of people who have sleep apnea do not know they have it. Sleep apnea is a tricky condition. You may experience shortness of breath while you are asleep, many times throughout the night, but you may not notice it, as there is no sign of struggling for breath. The condition is often noticed by your partner or a family member.

The following are the lists of sleep apnea causes:

• Obesity. If you are overweight, the extra soft fat tissue can thicken the wall of the windpipe. This causes the inside opening to narrow and makes it harder to keep open.
• Common cold that makes it difficult to breath
• Sinusitis. The infection or inflammation of the sinus cavity behind the nose and throat may block the airway
• Airway abnormality
• Nose abnormality
• Throat abnormality

This condition occurs because of a blockage of the airway. This airway blockage occurs when soft tissue at the rear of the throat collapses and closes the throat. It can also be caused by the brain’s failure to signal the muscles that control breathing.