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Obstructive sleep apnea can have a relationship to smoking, since the irritation can further inflame and enlarge tissue in the throat and contribute to the degree of obstruction. Usually in obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) there is a combination of problems that add up to cause the periods of absence of breathing (apnea) due to an airway obstruction. Some of those are:
being overweight and sleeping on your back, having large tonsils and other tissues in the mouth and throat (such as the uvula and soft palate), sometimes infection of throat, muscular relaxation of the tongue and throat during sleeping especially when on back, and obstructions due to nasal tissue thickening caused by smoking, colds, or Allergies.
There are neurological causes of sleep apnea that are not related to smoking, however. This different type of sleep apnea called Central sleep apnea (CSA) is caused by a problem within the central nervous system (CNS) that prevents the proper brain signals from getting to the respiratory system or from being recognized by the respiratory system to enable regular breathing. Some such CNS problems that can cause periods of apnea are injury to brain stem, Cerebrovascular Accidents (CVA or "stroke"), or infectious or other disorders and diseases of the brain or respiratory system.
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In the study of the relationship the conclusion was: "CONCLUSIONS: In our patient population, smoking is not an independent risk factor for sleep apnea after adjusting for other confounding variables." Although they did suggest that it can worsen apnea and that there is a relationship for people with severe apnea. So, can it cause apnea? It appears not to be a contributing factor.
Interestingly, smoking is a significant factor for micro-arousals (not necessarily respiratory related) and so affects sleep in other ways.
So, I guess if you want a good night's sleep, stop smoking.
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Additional information on other studies found in the related links below and further discussion about the above opinions is moved to the "Discussion" area associated with this question...please see.
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Wiki User
∙ 15y ago
Wiki User
∙ 10y agoYes, it is the main cause.
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Is sleep apnea caused by herpes?
Sleep apnea is not caused by herpes.
How can you increase your apnea time?
give up smoking and start jogging
Can sleep apnea be caused by depression?
No. Sleep apnea is a physical condition. If you have it, it doesn't matter whether you are depressed or not.
What lung or mouth disease is NOT known to be caused by smoking?
Apnea is not a "disease"! Apnea is a symptom of either a condition or a disease. Apnea is a temporary lack of breathing during sleep or during altered consciousness (such as during pre or post surgery). Sleep apnea or obstructive apnea can have numerous causes, including as a reaction to respiratory depressant medications (example, narcotics, even when given in the hospital), illegal drug use, obesity, throat problems, or a co-existing lung disease, acute illness, etc.The symptom of apnea has nothing to do with smoking.As to mouth, most oral infections such as yeast (which causes oral thrush) or viral infections (like Herpes Cold Sores) have nothing to do with smoking.
How can sleep apnea choking be prevented?
The risk of obstructive sleep apnea choking can be reduced by avoiding alcohol, tobacco smoking, tranquilizers, and sedatives before bed.
What is the chiefly caused by smoking?
itis chifly caused of smoking
What percentages of car accidents are caused by smoking?
the percentage of car accidents caused by smoking is 76%
What physical health problems that can be caused by being overwheight or obese?
sleep apnea, asthma
Lung is caused by smoking?
No. It's caused by your mother.
What the blockages are caused by?
smoking
True or false all lung cancers are caused by smoking?
False. About 60% are caused by smoking. The rest are caused by a variety of things, most commonly the spreading of cancer from other parts of the body (which may also have been caused by smoking).
Temporary inability to breath often in sleep?
The inability to breathe temporarily is called apnea. Periods of apnea during sleep, particularly those causing intermittent, frequently subconscious awakenings, is called Sleep Apnea. Sleep apnea comes in various forms. The most common being Obstructive Sleep Apnea (OSA). This is caused by an obstruction of the hypopharynx and glottis during sleep - usually the soft tissues of the mouth, soft palate, and throat relax during sleep and occlude the airway. Central Sleep Apnea (CSA) is rarer and caused by neurologic, toxicologic, and metabolic disorders.
