Monday, October 21, 2013

Sleep apnea risk factors

This article discusses different risk factors for obstructive sleep apnea.

Obstructive sleep apnea is a deadly sleep disorder. Those with obstructive sleep apnea may feel lethargic after a good night's sleep or you may snore loudly. But, there are certain risk factors associated with obstructive sleep apnea. We explore these risk factors.
Risk factors of obstructive sleep apnea:
1) Age: Obstructive sleep apnea is mainly associated with age. Those above 60 are prone to obstructive sleep apnea, but there are other risk factors that bring down the age group for sleep apnea.
2) Males: Having the X and Y chromosomes can make you prone to obstructive sleep apnea.Yes, males have a higher chance of developing apnea.
3) Weight: Excessive weight can result in obstructive sleep apnea. Over weight individuals tend to have thicker necks which make it difficult to breath. But obstructive sleep disorder can also affect individuals who are thin.
4) Genes: Family history of obstructive sleep disorder and narrow airway that you may have inherited are risk factors for obstructive sleep apnea.
5) Menopause: Though obstructive sleep apnea is prone to men, it can affect women after their menopause, especially is they are overweight.
6) Difficulty is breathing: Individuals who have nasal congestion and allergies associated with the respiration system are likely to develop obstructive sleep apnea. But it also depends on the breathing with correlation to the above mentioned risk factors.
7) Smoking: Smoking tends to build up water in the upper airway and also results in inflammation of the air way. These are the risk factors of developing obstructive sleep apnea.
8) Relaxed muscles: Sedatives that relaxes the muscles is a risk factor for obstructive sleep apnea.
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