Diagnosis
The following process is what you could expect when you want to seek a diagnosis for Sleep Apnea
- See your primary physician - Your primary physician can evaluate your symptoms and refer you to a sleep specialist if he or she believes you may be suffering from Sleep Apnea
- Consult with a Sleep Specialist - A sleep specialist will further evaluate your symptoms. If he or she believes you may have Sleep Apnea, the Sleep Specialist will order a Sleep Study
- Sleep Study - You will spend the night at a facility where the technicians will study your sleep. They will apply sensors to your head to measure brain activity during sleep, as well as a blood oxygen sensor, to measure how your breating effects your blood oxygen saturation
- Diagnosis - Your doctor will analyze the results of your sleep study. Your study will provide your Apnea Hypopnea Index (AHI) which will indicate the severity of your condition. At this point the doctor will recommend if treatment is necessary.
- Titration Study - To treat your Sleep Apnea, your doctor will most likely prescribe use of a CPAP (Continuous Positive Air Pressure) or BiPAP (Bi-level Positive Air Pressure) machine for use during sleep. A Titration Study is done to fine tune the machine's settings for your particular case. This study is also done with the brainwave sensors and blood oxygen sensor.
From this point if your doctor believes you need treatment, he will pass you along to a respiratory tech. For more information on this process, move on to the Treatment secton.