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Introduction to Obstructive Sleep Apnea Syndrome
What Causes Obstructive Sleep Apnea Syndrome?
Despite extensive research beginning in the 1970s, doctors still do not have a complete understanding as to why people develop obstructive sleep apnea syndrome (OSAS). Although the primary mechanism leading to OSAS is a repetitive narrowing of the upper airway during sleep, exactly what triggers the narrowing and collapse of the upper airway is currently not well understood. Based on imaging studies which have demonstrated that patients with OSAS usually have a smaller upper airway than people without OSAS, a prevalent theory is that anatomical variations in the size and structure of the upper airway may predispose some people to developing OSAS.
