Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA)

The most common type of sleep apnea. It occurs when your upper airway closes but your efforts to breathe continue. The primary causes of upper airway obstruction are lack of muscle tone during sleep, excess tissue in the upper airway, and anatomical abnormalities in the upper airway and jaw.

The following pictures represent the anatomy of a open airway and an airway that has been obstructed.