Is Sleep Apnea Genetic? Understanding the Family Link

Sleep apnea is a common sleep condition that can have serious consequences, such as a stroke, high blood pressure, memory problems, and heart disease. Many factors can cause sleep apnea, and one of them is genetics. Your ENT specialist can tell you more about how sleep apnea can have a family link. Dr. Michael Avidano and Dr. Blanca Durand at Southern Crescent ENT offer a full range of ear, nose, and throat services, including diagnosis and treatment of sleep apnea. They have two convenient office locations in Stockbridge and Fayetteville, GA.

What You Need To Know About Sleep Apnea

Sleep apnea is a sleep disorder caused by the tissue at the back of your throat relaxing and blocking your airway while you sleep. The blocked airway reduces oxygen available throughout your body, including to your vital organs such as your heart and brain.

Sleep apnea may run in families. If you have a parent, sibling, or child with sleep apnea, your chance of developing sleep apnea increases by about fifty percent. Genetic factors can influence the structure of the head and face, how body fat is distributed, and how the brain controls the upper airway. There are also genetic conditions, such as congenital central hypoventilation syndrome, which increase the risk of developing sleep apnea.

In addition to genetics, you are at greater risk of developing sleep apnea if you:

• Smoke
• Are overweight or obese
• Are older
• Have a thicker neck
• Are a man
• Drink alcohol or take sedatives

You may have sleep apnea if you:

• Snore deeply and loudly
• Suddenly wake with a gasping or choking feeling
• Feel groggy or sleepy during the day
• Wake with a sore throat and headache most mornings

If you are experiencing any of the signs and symptoms listed above, it’s time to visit your ENT specialist to determine whether you have sleep apnea.

Want To Know More About Sleep Apnea?

Talk with the experts to learn more about how genetics play a role in the development of sleep apnea. Call Dr. Avidano and Dr. Durand at Southern Crescent ENT. You can reach them in Stockbridge, GA, by calling (770) 474-7416 or in Fayetteville, GA, by calling (678) 817-4390, so call today.