Up to 80% of sleep apnea cases go undiagnosed because people don’t understand the symptoms. In order to diagnose sleep apnea, start by watching out for sleep apnea symptoms. This leads to patients suffering from their symptoms for years, or even their entire lives when they could get relief.
In this article, we discuss the steps to diagnose sleep apnea including sleep studies. Continue reading to find out if you might have sleep apnea and what to do.
What Is Sleep Apnea?
Sleep apnea is a disorder that causes your breathing to stop and start repeatedly in your sleep. There are three main types of sleep apnea: obstructive, central, and complex.
Obstructive sleep apnea is characterized by the relaxation of throat muscles. It’s also one of the more common forms of this disorder.
In comparison, central sleep apnea affects the connection between your brain and your muscles. Your brain doesn’t communicate properly with the muscles that control your breathing.
Complex sleep apnea syndrome is a combination of the two other types. It’s also called treatment-emergent central sleep apnea.
Symptoms of Sleep Apnea
Diagnosing sleep apnea starts with identifying sleep apnea symptoms. Because the symptoms of obstructive and central sleep apnea overlap, it can be difficult to self-diagnose sleep apnea.
The most common symptoms include the following:
- Insomnia (difficulty sleeping)
- Hypersomnia (excessive daytime tiredness)
- Waking up with headaches
- Gasping for air in the middle of the night
- Loud snoring
- Waking up with a dry mouth
How to Diagnose Sleep Apnea
Your doctor can help you in knowing how to diagnose sleep apnea. After reviewing your symptoms they may recommend additional testing. The steps to diagnose sleep apnea include undergoing a sleep apnea test, also called a sleep study.
The technical term for this test is a polysomnogram. It measures certain physical reactions while you sleep. One of the best options for this is a home sleep test. Unlike a sleep test at a sleep lab, you can undergo the home test in the comfort of your own bed.
Diagnosing sleep apnea means preparing well for the test. Your doctor will advise you on how to prepare as far as whether you should take your regular medications or not. They will also likely tell you to avoid caffeine or alcohol consumption on the day of the test.
The monitoring equipment may look intimidating, but many patients are able to sleep well with it attached. This equipment includes electrodes attached to your face and scalp to record brain and muscle activity as well as bands around your chest and stomach to measure breathing.
The specialist will review the data, which can take up to a week once received. After that, you may receive a diagnosis and a treatment plan. Otherwise, your doctor may recommend other tests.
Talk to Your Doctor about Diagnosing Sleep Apnea
In order to diagnose sleep apnea, you have to start paying attention to any potential symptoms. If you’re waking up gasping or with a sore throat, you could be experiencing sleep apnea symptoms. Talk with your doctor to learn how to diagnose sleep apnea.
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