What causes sleep apnea?

by Debbie
(Saint John, Canada)

I know that obesity can cause sleep apnea, but I heard that normal weight people can have this disorder. What are the causes, to know from what I should keep away.

Thanks!

Answer

Hello Debbie,

there are many causes of sleep apnea, and some of them you can't avoid, because are genetic causes.

For example, if a baby is born with Down Syndrome or abnormalities of the soft tissue structure of the head then he will probably develop sleep apnea.

If you are a normal person, but you start to gain weight, then you should know that overweight people with body mass index (BMI) greater than 25 are more likely to have sleep apnea.

I wrote more details about the causes of sleep apnea here.