Central Sleep Apnea risk factors are many and varied. While most people which test positive for some factor and never experience an apnea in their lifetime, if you find that you are positive for more than 3 factors on the list and if you are tired all of the time, it would be better to be cautious and check for central sleep apnea symptoms and undergo a sleep test.
Central Sleep Apnea is a dangerous medical condition wherein your brain will fail to send the necessary signals in a regular manner to the respiratory muscles. This will result in apnea (attacks where your body will stop to breathe multiple times in a single night). If the number of apnea attack’s are low, then there is nothing to worry about, but if they occur in high frequencies then you need to be worried since this condition can cause death.
The Different Risk Factors for suffering from Central Sleep Apnea
- Sex: Depending if you are a male or a female the chances of you suffering from central sleep apnea will differ. Research ahs show that males have a tendency to suffer from this condition in higher frequencies when compared to females.
- Age: As you grow older, the chances of you suffering from central sleep apnea are also increased. This may be due to many reasons such as increased prevalence of medical conditions in adults which cause sleep apnea and because of the weakening of muscles in the body.
- Disorders of the Heart: Congestive Heart Failure, Atrial Fibrillation, and sudden stokes if they occur, at times end up causing central sleep apnea. Many documented cases have shown that heart problems result in lowered oxygen to the brain which can cause brain damage, which will subsequently result in central sleep apnea.
- Altitude: Higher altitudes tend to place high amounts of pressure on your respiratory tract which can cause obstructive sleep apnea. But OSA can cause CSA at a secondary condition. But this condition is cured naturally upon moving to a lower altitude.
- Medication: Some types of medication (opioid’s) will increase the chances of you suffering from central sleep apnea by acting as muscle relaxants which may prevent the contractions of your respiratory muscles resulting in an apnea.
- CPAP: In some cases, you may suffer from central sleep apnea if you use CPAP as a cure for obstructive sleep apnea. Also known as complex sleep apnea, the condition usually resolves itself or by changing the therapy