What causes OSA (Obstructive Sleep Apnea)?
The muscles that normally keep the airway open relax during sleep. This causes the airway to collapse and become blocked. Large tonsils may also create an obstruction in the airway. The brain senses that breathing is difficult. The work of breathing gets harder. The brain wakes up for a few seconds. We call this an “arousal”. The airway then stiffens up and breathing returns to normal. The level of oxygen in your blood may drop at this time.
