Sleep Apnea & Snoring Diagnosis
While snoring, gasping for air during sleep, and excessive daytime sleepiness are common in patients who suffer from obstructive sleep apnea (OSA), the only way to diagnose this serious disorder is with a sleep study conducted by a physician. Our staff is more than happy to facilitate a referral to the appropriate physician.
On the other hand, Home Sleep Apnea Tests are easier, and patients generally prefer them as they allow one to conduct the study in the comfort of their own bed. The downside is that sleep studies conducted at home generally don’t provide as much information as those conducted in the laboratory setting.
Both of these types of sleep studies are painless and safe. For diagnostic purposes, it is up to you
There are two types of sleep studies:
-
Polysomnogram (sleep study conducted in a laboratory setting)
-
Home Sleep Apnea Test (portable sleep study conducted at your home in your own bed)
Sleep studies conducted in the laboratory setting are the gold standard, provide us with the most information and quite frankly provide more accurate data regarding the quality of your sleep and the presence of sleep disorders such as obstructive sleep apnea.
and your sleep physician to determine the best option. Regardless of the type of sleep study you and your physician choose, the resulting information will help determine the best course of action to manage your sleep breathing problem.
Whether you’ve already had a diagnosis or simply suspect there is a problem, the best first step is a consultation and examination. These consultations are usually done virtually and provide us an opportunity to listen closely to your concerns and perhaps ask a few questions to better understand your situation. Your input is important here. We want a clear understanding of your problem and your goals for treatment.
From there, the best next step is a clinical examination with diagnostic imaging to evaluate the structures of the mouth, the jaw joints as they relate to the upper airway. Without this approach, the doctor is most likely guessing at the cause and thus treatment is most likely hit or miss or perhaps at best only masking the problem.