What Causes Sleep Apnea?

“I’m strong to the finich, because I eats me spinach!” When we hear the word spinach, our favorite sailor Popeye instantly comes to mind. Though the beefy sailor gulped down spinach to gain superhuman strength, there may have also been other reasons for eating his greens. In particular episodes, we may have thought that Popeye’s furniture-bending, earth-shattering snoring was his way of catching up on much-needed sleep after a long day of fighting bad guys. But at a closer look, his massive jawline and curled-in nose may have been the cause--and sleep apnea the effect. So what else causes sleep apnea? And if you’re like Popeye, why may spinach be a solution?

Sleep Apnea Culprits

According to the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI), “Sleep apnea can be caused by a person’s physical structure or medical conditions.” They specify that such culprits can include obesity, endocrine disorders, enlarged tonsils, heart failure, or, as in Popeye’s case, musculoskeletal disfigurements.

Obesity

It’s one of the most common contributors to sleep apnea in adults, the NHLBI points out. Generally, what happens is that extra amounts of neck fat can block the upper airway.

Enlarged tonsils

That’s another contributor. Essentially, the oversized tissue in the tonsils narrows the upper airway.

Hormones

Within the endocrine system, hormones necessary for sleep could malfunction, causing you to jolt awake at night when breathing has stopped.

Heart health

Another is advanced heart or kidney failure. People who’ve experienced these have built-up fluids in their necks, which can also obstruct the upper airway.

Nose shape

Finally, it’s Popeye’s supposed ‘bad guy’--musculoskeletal disfigurements. Even the slightest facial shape variation can, for example, cause the tongue to sit further back in the mouth, disrupting sleep.

Fighting Off the Bad Guys

There are some culprits that aren’t in your power to control, such as age, sex, and genetics. However, there are some risk factors you can eliminate today. Not surprisingly, experts have honed in on alcohol consumption, smoking, and unhealthy eating habits as being major risk factors for sleep apnea. Here are three things that tend to exacerbate sleep apnea.

Alcohol

If you’ve ever heard that alcohol ‘loosens you up,’ that’s particularly true when it comes to sleep apnea. What happens is that alcohol relaxes your mouth and throat, which in turn blocks the upper airway. Not to mention, the alcohol also affects your body’s breathing patterns.

Smoking

Smoking similarly affects your body. When you smoke, inflammation occurs in the upper airway. This also affects how your brain controls the muscles involved in breathing during the night.

Food choices

It shouldn’t surprise you that unhealthy eating habits can lead to obesity, a common condition associated with sleep apnea. So what can you do to fight off these risk factors? Experts agree that assuming a healthy lifestyle can do wonders for decreasing your risk of developing sleep apnea. If you want to develop a truly healthy and enriched lifestyle, you should check with a doctor about eating heart-healthy meals, quitting smoking, drinking less alcohol, and being active. In other words, eat your spinach! That way, you and Popeye can get back to your strong, healthy lives.