Obstructive Sleep Apnea

Risk Factors for Obstructive Sleep Apnea

• Male gender
• Middle to older age (increases in women with menopause)
• Excess weight
• Use of alcohol, muscle relaxants, and sedatives (sleeping pills)
• Nasal congestion
• Smoking
• Craniofacial anatomy that narrows the upper airway, such as a small or recessed chin
• Large tonsils and adenoids
• Endocrine disorders such as hypothyroidism or acromegaly (hypersecretion of growth hormone)
• Down syndrome
• Family members with obstructive sleep apnea