Are you also one of those suffering from sleep apnea or know someone from your loved ones having this kind of sleep disorder? If yes, then this article is entirely right for you. You can now have an option to use a sleep apnea test at home for your convenience. You may also use this article to get help for this issue.
Sleep Apnea Causes
Sleep apnea is one of the common sleep disorders in which your breathing stops for short intervals while you are sleeping. There are different kinds of sleep apnea, and the typical form is the obstructive sleep apnea. Moreover, the following details are the main categories of sleep apnea.
An obstructive sleep apnea is likely a severe kind of sleep disorder. It arises when the muscles of your throat occasionally relax and obstruct the route of your airway while sleeping. Snoring is the usual symptom of a person having obstructive sleep apnea.
The central sleep apnea happens when your central nervous system doesn’t give correct indications to the muscles of your throat to regulate your breathing.
The complex sleep apnea syndrome referred to as treatment-emergent central sleep apnea. This type of sleep apnea happens when you have both central sleep apnea and obstructive sleep apnea.
Diagnosis of Sleep Apnea
Your doctor will ask you first regarding your signs and symptoms to diagnose sleep apnea. Then they will ask other questions to evaluate the symptoms as well as other risk factors such as obesity, high blood pressure and age. Sleep apnea is not common among people who exercise regularly and keep fit.
Your doctor may recommend a sleep monitoring test if they suspect that you have this kind of sleep disorder. The sleep monitoring test is also known as Polysomnography (PSG) or a sleep study. This type of sleep study test monitors the way you breath and other vital signs such as lung, heart, brain activity, breathing pattern and blood oxygen levels while you are sleeping at a lab, hospital, or clinic. However, you may also monitor your sleep in the convenience of staying at home. Your doctor may suggest the sleep monitoring at home if your risk factors and symptoms are powerfully demonstrating sleep apnea.
In-lab sleep study or Polysomnography
In-lab sleep studies utilize to detect sleep apnea and other range of sleep disorders. You need to bring your pyjamas and anything else you usually used to sleep because you will stay in a private room where you can sleep.
No need for a blood sample; however, you will have a lot of wire attached to your body to monitor other vital signs while you are sleeping. Furthermore, there are two set-ups for sleep studies: split night and full night.
The split-night study has two parts to perform. The first half of the night monitors your sleep. Then the second part of the night is used to set up the treatment device if you receive a diagnosis of sleep apnea.
A full-night sleep study monitors your sleep for an entire night. If sleep apnea is diagnosed, you will recommend returning to the lab, clinic or hospital at a later date to arrange a device to help you breathe.
At-home sleep test
In this sleep test, your doctor will prescribe a portable breathing monitor set that you can use at home, and there is no technician needed to monitor your sleep while resting at home. That is why an at-home sleep test is known as a simplified version of an in-lab test.
You need to pay special attention to the directions provided with the kit to make sure that you are correctly using the monitoring sensors. Home sleep test devices are portable and about the size of a telephone handset. The tools can get through a sleep specialist, primary care provider, or independent, for-profit companies.
Most at-home sleep apnea monitors are effortless to set up. They generally include the following components:
- a finger pin that assesses your heart rate and oxygen levels
- a nasal cannula to evaluate your airflow and oxygen
- sensors equipment to monitor the movement of your chest
Process of At-Home Sleep Apnea Tests
Since an at-home sleep apnea test is a very handy device that gives you comfort at home, many people are recommending this. It can be a very simple process once you are fully aware of what it entails and how it works. Although specific instructions may vary for each home sleep test provider, there is also a general process you can follow.
- Consult with your doctor if the home sleep test decision is right for you. If recommended, your doctor will order the device for you. However, make sure to get the approval of your physician to take any considerations such as your medical conditions and medications when you are going to order online.
- Once you have received your home sleep test, you can now apply the equipment to your body before you sleep. The kit includes a small nasal cannula, belt, and finger clip.
- Use the home sleep test kit for one to three nights to gather enough information for your sleep technician and doctor to evaluate.
- Don’t forget to return your at-home sleep apnea test devices to the proper diagnostic service provider.
- Your sleep data will be evaluated by a sleep technician and make a report regarding your data. Then, your doctor will discuss the information and your results with you and identify treatment, if necessary.
Sometimes sleep apnea is accompanied by teeth grinding so a visit to your dentist might help after you consult your GP or specialist doctor. Getting a sleep apnea test at home can surely give you convenience, unlike other sleep study tests which require you to stay overnight at the other place. Also, this device helps you to save your time from packing your sleeping materials and from travelling from one place to another. At-home sleep apnea tests are even more cost-effective and have reasonable accuracy. Don’t miss a chance to monitor your health while you sleep. Sleeping healthy can make your morning happy.
