Central sleep apnea does not occur as often as obstructive sleep apnea, but it is just as dangerous. With obstructive sleep apnea, the muscles surrounding the airway, from the soft palate to the tongue, relax as the person sleeps, obstructing the airway.
Central sleep apnea is a disease of the nervous system, not a simple blockage of the airway as in obstructive sleep apnea. A dysfunction in the thalamus section of the brain and the brain stem, which regulates breathing, causes central sleep apnea. In central sleep apnea, breathing stops numerous times during sleep because the brain does not send the correct signals to the muscles that regulate breathing. Injury or disease can affect these regions of the brain, resulting in difficulty breathing while sleeping.
Medical conditions that frequently lead to central sleep apnea include:
==> Being male
==> Brain tumor
==> Bulbar Poliomyelitis
==> Cervical spine surgery complications
==> Congestive heart failure
==> Degeneration and arthritis in the cervical spine
