Sleep Apnea Risk Factors
The most common cause of OSA is obesity. Having a large neck (men: greater than 16.5 inches around, women: greater than 15 inches around) increases your risk for OSA, as it collapses the airway. In small children, large tonsils are the most common cause of OSA. High blood pressure is also commonly linked to OSA. It is important to check your family history and ask a spouse or loved one if they sense your snoring or you stop breathing during the night.
Most common risks of Sleep Apnea
High blood pressure (hypertension)
Sleep apnea is not uncommon in people with hypertension.
Neck circumference
The size of your neck may indicate whether or not you have an increased risk of sleep apnea. That is because a thick neck may narrow the airway and may be an indication of excess weight. A neck circumference greater than 16.5 inches is associated with an increased risk of obstructive sleep apnea
A narrowed airway
You may inherit a natuarally narrow throat. Or, your tonsils or adenoids may become enlarged, which can block your airway.
Obesity or Excess weight
Fat deposits around your upper airway may obstruct your breathing. However, not everyone who has sleep apnea is overweight. Thin people develop the disorder, too.
Male vs. Female
Men are twice as likely to have sleep apnea as women are. However, women increase their risk if they are overweight, and the risk also appears to rise after menopause.
Family history
If you have family member with sleep apnea, you may be at increased risk.
Age
Sleep apnea occurs two or three times more often in adults older than 65.
Alcohol, sedatives, or tranquilizers
These substances relax the muscles in your throat
Smoking
Smokers are three times as likely to have obstructive sleep apnea than are people who’ve never smoked. Smoking may increase the amount of inflammation and fluid retention in the upper airway. This risk likely drops after you quit smoking.
