Obstructive sleep apnea, or OSA, is a condition where your breathing stops and restarts multiple times while you are sleeping. It prevents your body from getting needed oxygen. Snoring or gasping for breath during the night is a common symptom of sleep apnea. This can now be diagnosed at home rather than at a sleep clinic. What to expect during a home sleep exam.
What Causes Sleep Apnea?
Obstructive sleep apnea happens when muscles relax and your upper airway becomes blocked. This reduces or even stops airflow. Being obese, having large tonsils, or undergoing hormonal changes can all increase a person’s risk for developing obstructive sleep apnea.
Getting insufficient sleep is a smoking gun proposition. It puts the body under stress and can trigger irritability, depression, and cardiovascular issues.
Proper rest is essential for learning new tasks, memory, alertness, regulating appetite and weight control. The less you sleep the more likely you are to be overweight or obese. Most adults need 7 to 8 hours of sleep to perform their best.
Obstructive sleep apnea interrupts restful sleep and can lead to many negative results. Don’t underestimate the damage that can occur from OSA. Actress Carrie Fisher and football star Reggie White both died from complications due to obstructive sleep apnea.
Diagnosing Obstructive Sleep Apnea
Based on your symptoms, Annapolis Asthma, Pulmonary & Sleep Specialists may recommend a sleep study to diagnose OSA. Most of the time these studies have been performed at a lab, clinic, or hospital. Breathing and other vital signs are monitored while you sleep.
It is also possible to have this study completed at home, and it may be an option for you. Ask Annapolis Asthma, Pulmonary & Sleep Specialists if this is possible. An at home test has no technician present, and it is basically a simplified version of a lab test.
After receiving a portable breathing monitor kit, the steps are as follows:
- Follow your regular bedtime routine
- Read all the directions carefully
- Attach a finger clip that measure your oxygen level and heart rate
- Insert a nasal cannula to measure oxygen and airflow
- Attach sensors to track the rise and fall of your chest
Some kits may include other devices like a microphone to measure snoring.
The data will be analyzed and a diagnosis may be given. If so, a CPAP device may be prescribed or instructions to make some other lifestyle changes like losing weight or changing your sleep position. The test may also be inconclusive. If that occurs, you may need to take the lab test to gather more information about another sleep disorder.
Deciding About An At Home Test
Obviously, having this test at home is much more convenient than spending a night away from home, and it happens to be less expensive. Fewer devices are attached to your body, so that might be a positive for you. A test in the lab gathers more data, so it is best to discuss which test is right for you with the sleep specialist or your physician.
Contact Annapolis Asthma, Pulmonary & Sleep Specialists at (410) 266-1644 if you suspect you may have obstructive sleep apnea and want to schedule a consultation in Annapolis.
