What You Should Do If You Suspect To Have Sleep Apnea ?
December 9, 2008 by rainier
It is a sad fact that we are trying to remedy, but most health professionals are not well informed about obstructive sleep apnea(OSA). It is therefore not very helpful to say, “If you suspect you may have OSA, consult your physician.” Rather, you must first become as knowledgeable as possible about OSA yourself. You can also do a number of simple things that will convert your suspicions into certainty. The best first step is to involve your spouse or other family member. He or she can audiotape or videotape you while you are sleeping. The sounds and repeated silences and struggles to breath are highly characteristic. When you have enough ammunition, make an appointment with your physician specifically to get help for your OSA. Your spouse must accompany you if at all possible.
At this point, your physician should refer you for a diagnostic sleep study. These diagnostic tests can be carried out in the convenience of your own home or in a sleep disorders center. In either case, you should undergo an all night sleep study. This test will absolutely prove the presence or absence of OSA, and perhaps more important, will yield a clear indication of the severity of your problem. The all night test is called a polysomnogram. The following functions are always continuously monitored: air flow, respiratory effort, blood oxygen level, snoring, and body position. Brain waves, eye movements, and muscle activity may also be monitored. The test involves no pain and is covered by insurance.
When done in your home, special portable equipment is used and you are instructed in how to connect those sensors used for predominantly detecting OSA. When the test is performed in a sleep disorders center, you are monitored and observed by a sleep technologist, videotaped, and connected to a variety of sensors which are typically placed on your scalp, eyes, nose, finger, chin, chest, abdomen and legs.
