Sleep apnea is a serious sleeping disorder that can cause multiple health issues. Some of the problems that might be caused by sleep apnea include high blood pressure and heart problems. Sleep apnea causes breathing to stop regularly while sleeping, causing daytime tiredness. Read on to know four common causes of sleep apnea.

1. Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA)
This is the most common type of sleep apnea caused when the upper airway collapses, making it difficult for the air to get in the lungs. Overweight men that sleep on their backs are more prone to this problem. An abnormality is seen in the lower part of the face among people who have normal weight and suffer from sleep apnea. The abnormality might be in the form of a small chin, large tongue, or overbite. The first phase of OSA is when the airway is blocked partially while the soft tissue at the back of the throat performs an activity, causing loud snoring. The airway collapses, and airflow is completely or partially hindered for ten seconds to two minutes. In the last phase, the sufferer wakes up suddenly and gasps for air, and goes back to sleep.

2. Central sleep apnea (CSA)
Central sleep apnea or CSA is caused when the brain is unable to send signals to muscles controlling breathing. The condition is more common among people who have other health conditions and is most common among people who have an issue in the brainstem, an area in the brain that controls breathing. The most common causes of sleep apnea of this kind are brain conditions, including brain infection, stroke, or conditions related to the cervical spine. Severe obesity and certain medicines, including painkillers, are other causes of this kind of sleep apnea. When the cause of sleep apnea cannot be associated with any other illness, it is referred to as idiopathic central sleep apnea.

3. Mixed sleep apnea
Many times, sleep apnea could be a combination of the two types mentioned above. In this case, it is known as mixed sleep apnea. The causes of this kind of apnea are a mix of causes of the two kinds of sleep apnea. The start is central sleep apnea, and then it progresses to obstructive sleep apnea.

4. Other common causes
There are some causes of sleep apnea, most of OSA, that we can track. A family history of sleep apnea is a common cause. Cigarette smoking is also a cause of sleep apnea, and people who have a family history of OSA should not smoke. Sleeping on the back is a habit that can cause sleep apnea. Nasal congestion and hormonal abnormalities are other common causes of sleep apnea as well.