What is the physical cause of Obstructive Sleep Apnea?
In OSA, the muscles of the soft palate around the base of the tongue and the uvula relax, obstructing the patient’s airway. This obstruction induces hypoxia, a reduced level of oxygen in the blood. The airway obstruction also increases the stress on the heart, elevates blood pressure, and prevents the patient from entering “REM sleep” — the restful and restorative stage of sleep.