Is Sleep Apnea Hereditary?

Your genes have a large bearing on your personality and your appearance. They also play a role in your overall health. You may wonder, though, if they can also affect the quality of your sleep. The answer is yes! Let’s discuss how your genetic makeup may influence your risk of sleep apnea and whether it is likely that you will require sleep testing in Jupiter.

Types of Sleep Apnea

There are two main types of sleep apnea: central sleep apnea (CSA) and obstructive sleep apnea (OSA). CSA stems from how the brain functions. Your muscles do not receive the right signals to allow you to breathe easily while you are asleep. As a result, you may stop breathing periodically throughout the night. OSA is the more common form of sleep apnea. It occurs when tissues in the back of the throat block the upper airway, causing obstructions that hinder proper breathing.

Your Genes and Sleep Apnea

Most medical professionals do not believe that CSA is a hereditary disease. There is little evidence to suggest that parents can pass it on to their children. However, some of CSA’s risk factors, such as certain heart defects, are linked to genetics. Other potential contributors to CSA, such as sleeping at a high altitude, are completely unrelated to genetics.

There is a stronger connection between OSA and genetics. While OSA itself might not be passed down from generation to generation, many of its primary risk factors are. For example, OSA is highly prevalent among obese individuals, and some people are genetically predisposed to carry extra weight. Your genes might also cause you to have a small lower jaw, large tonsils, or a narrow airway — all of which can contribute to nighttime obstructions in breathing.

Can You Prevent Sleep Apnea?

Even if your genes put you at an increased risk of OSA, you should not automatically conclude that you are doomed to suffer from it. There is much you can do to help yourself breathe easier at night. For example, you can work with your physician to design a healthy weight loss program. You can also avoid caffeine and alcohol before bedtime, take medications to control allergies that affect your sinuses, and sleep on your side.

With that being said, you may need to seek professional help to combat OSA. If you snore loudly at night, are constantly exhausted, or sometimes wake up gasping for air, it would be worth your time to take a sleep test. If the sleep test reveals that you have OSA, a qualified sleep expert can design a treatment plan to help you breathe easier at night and stop snoring in Jupiter.

Your genes can affect your sleep! Fortunately, you can take steps to improve the quality of your shuteye and fight obstructive sleep apnea.

About the Author

Dr. Kenneth Mogell is an experienced sleep dentist in Jupiter. He specializes in providing oral appliance therapy to help patients find freedom from OSA and its symptoms. If you have questions about sleep apnea or suspect that you need treatment for it, contact our office at 561-531-0590.