Is Sleep apnea heridity?

[maria19609]

Hi Dr.
I'm wondering if sleep apnea is heridity as I do have my mother and oldest brother diagnosed with this? Yes they are both on the heavy side but I'm not.
My husband is disturbed with the amount of snoring I've done throughout the years with it getting worse and can't understand that no matter how I lay while sleeping, I seem to snore, Even on my stomach!
I was asked some years ago to go for a sleep study test but didn't go through with it. Is there really anything that can be done without wearing those awful masks? The way I move around all night long without knowing it, I don't believe it would stay on anyway.

[Steven Y Park, MD]

Obstructive sleep apnea is definitely hereditary, but doe not express itself completely. Just like other various medical conditions, there's a great deal of variability in just how much you'll express either of your parent's genes. Then there the environment, your diet, your stress levels, and your state of mind. Current research is beginning to show that how you live your life and what you are exposed to (good AND bad things) can be more important in how much your genes are expressed than just sheer genetic probability.

Regarding your snoring: If you snore that much, in all sleep positions, there's a reasonably good chance that you have obstructive sleep apnea. You don't have to be overweight to have it. It's been shown that even young, thin women that don't snore can have it. Ultimately, it begins with your narrowed jaw anatomy and dental crowding.

Being afraid of the mask should not be a good reason to avoid a sleep study. There are various options with the mask, as well as other treatment options. Get the diagnosis made, and then weigh all your options. Eventually (if you don't have it already), you'll develop one of the complications, such a chronic fatigue, poor memory and concentration, anxiety, depression, high blood pressure and heart disease. It can even cause weight gain by altering your hormone levels. When further weight gain aggravates more obstructions and then you're caught in a vicious cycle.

[maria19609]

Thanks so much. I do have a regular check up next month and will bring this up to my primary physician.
This may explain part of the fatigue and anxiety I've had for quite some time.