Diagnosing Sleep Apnea At Home

By David Pinsky, DDS

iHateSnoringMD

. http://ihatesnoring.center/

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Diagnosing Sleep Apnea At Home

Sleep apnea is a common and serious condition that often goes undiagnosed. Over 18 million Americans suffer from sleep apnea and without treatment it can lead to other life threatening issues like cardiovascular disease, high blood pressure, memory problems and more. Luckily, there are simple options for diagnosing sleep apnea, which can even be done in the comfort of your own home.

Sleep apnea is caused by blocked airways, which prevent the patient from breathing normally while sleeping. The throat can get over relaxed when sleeping and collapse; therefore, blocking the airway. People who suffer from sleep apnea will usually stop breathing anywhere from a couple of seconds up to a couple of minutes, which can be extremely dangerous and potentially deadly. Most people with sleep apnea don't even realize that they have stopped breathing and don't always wake up when they have stopped breathing.

Because they don't wake up many people don't realize that they have sleep apnea. However, those who sleep in the same room as them may recognize the warning signs. If you've been told that you snore, and snore loudly, or if you get plenty of sleep but never feel well rested you may have sleep apnea.

Sleep screenings have come a long way and it's no longer required that you spend the night at a lab just to diagnose sleep apnea. At home sleep tests are less invasive and easier to use. Most insurance companies now cover home sleep tests. You are able to rest well knowing that you can get the testing you need in the comfort and privacy of your home. The devices are usually smaller, easy to use and won't interfere with your normal sleeping habits.

During your initial consultation a sleep specialist can help you fit the device to your head and will show you exactly how to set up the test. You simply need to place the head strap across your forehead and insert the nasal cannula into the nose. Then you just need to go to bed like normal. The test will run and measure the signs of sleep apnea. The sleep test needs to be able to collect at least six hours of sleep in order to produce an accurate diagnosis.

After you've finished your home sleep study, you simply return the device to the office and a sleep specialist, usually a pulmonologist, will review the test and determine a diagnosis.

If the pulmonologist determines that you have mild to moderate sleep apnea, you can move forward with treatment. If you are diagnosed with severe sleep apnea it may be recommended to do an in-lab sleep test, just to double check the results.

It's no longer necessary for people with mild to moderate sleep apnea to use a CPAP machine. A less intrusive oral device can be used instead. The oral device will help keep your airways open while you sleep so that the throat can't collapse and you'll be able to sleep peacefully all night long.