A Guide To Sleep Apnea Diagnosis

Obstructive sleep apnea is a commonly diagnosed sleep disorder. If left untreated, sleep apnea leads to multiple health issues including heart disease, obesity, diabetes, and stroke.

If you exhibit common sleep apnea risk factors, your Primary Care Physician will recommend you to a sleep specialist for a sleep apnea diagnosis.

Fortunately, if diagnosed, sleep apnea treatment is easy, convenient, and highly effective.

Sleep Centers of Middle Tennessee has been diagnosing and treating sleep apnea for more than 25 years. Our trained sleep specialists are experts in the field of sleep medicine and they perform more than 5,000 sleep studies a year.

As a fully integrated sleep medicine practice, we start by evaluating our patients’ risk for sleep apnea. In some cases, we also determine if sleep testing is needed to identify and confirm other sleep disorders (in addition to sleep apnea).

Based on the information collected during the evaluation, we recommend the ideal diagnostic test. For most, an in-home sleep apnea test is all that is needed to verify sleep apnea. Others may require an overnight in-lab sleep study.

If sleep apnea is diagnosed, we’ll explain your sleep apnea treatment options or refer you to an outside DME (durable medical equipment) company as needed.

In as few as seven days, you can get your sleep apnea test results and diagnosis.

There’s no need to suffer from fatigue, morning headaches, or any of the other more serious medical conditions associated with sleep apnea. A simple sleep apnea test could be all you need to identify what you need to get quality, restorative sleep.

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What Is Sleep Apnea?

Obstructive sleep apnea describes a blocked airway at night during sleep. Most often the airway is partially blocked, but in some instances, the airway is completely obstructed.

During sleep, the muscles in the back of the throat relax. As the muscles relax, the airway becomes restricted or closed, which makes it difficult to breathe.

The reduced airflow lowers the levels of oxygen in your blood, and as the brain registers the need for oxygen it releases a chemical, norepinephrine, to trick the body into thinking it’s awake. This temporarily opens the airway and improves oxygen flow.

Usually, this repeated, nightly process doesn’t fully wake the individual, although in some cases, it may. Some choke or gasp for air once the airway reopens; this can happen more than 30 times an hour.

Regardless of whether the person becomes fully awake during these episodes or is only partially awakened, obstructive sleep apnea deprives you of deep restful sleep.

The Importance Of Sleep Apnea Diagnosis

One of the most common symptoms of obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is snoring.

One study of over 5,000 Americans found that snoring occurs in 24% of men and 13.8% of women.¹ For those 60-65, those figures rise to 60 percent in men and 40 percent in women. Of those individuals, 80% may have obstructive sleep apnea; the remaining 20% are likely to develop it in the future.² Still, not all people with OSA make noise, which is why it is important to seek diagnosis if you are unsure. 

Although it’s unlikely that a single event caused by OSA will result in death, sleep apnea could be fatal.

Without proper treatment, sleep apnea sufferers are 3.8 times more likely to face premature death than the rest of the population.³ This is in part because sleep apnea can cause or worsen medical conditions such as stroke, coronary artery disease, and type 2 diabetes. 

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Sleep Apnea Symptoms

As previously mentioned, snoring is one of the most common sleep apnea symptoms. However, there are other prominent signs and symptoms that can indicate whether you’re at risk for sleep apnea.

Here are a few of the more common signs of sleep apnea:

• Snoring
• Stopping breathing during sleep
• Choking during sleep
• Daytime fatigue
• Morning headaches or migraines
• Being overweight
• Dry or sore throat
• Back or joint pain
• Morning anxiety
• Brain fog
• Lack of sexual interest
• Hypertension (high blood pressure)

If you are experiencing more than one of these symptoms, a sleep medicine specialist at Sleep Centers of Middle Tennessee can review your symptoms and determine the best course of action. Our team of experts is qualified and dedicated to helping people who are struggling to get good sleep.

How Is Sleep Apnea Diagnosed?

Sleep apnea is either diagnosed through an in-lab sleep study called polysomnography, or an in-home sleep apnea test.

In-Lab Sleep Study

For an in-lab sleep study, a patient spends the night at a sleep center and is monitored in comfortable sleeping quarters modeled after a hotel room. Sleep medicine specialists attach multiple sensors to the patient and track their breathing, brain waves, snoring, leg and eye movements, blood oxygen levels, and heart rate throughout the night.

The summary report of the results determines how mild or severe your sleep apnea is and if you have any other sleep disorders.

Home Sleep Apnea Test (HSAT)

A comprehensive sleep consultation will determine whether a patient is a candidate for home sleep apnea testing. If indicated, they will undergo sleep testing in the comfort of their home with either a traditional sleep testing device or a disposable one-time use sleep test.

Both devices are comfortable and easy to use without disrupting sleep. The home test prescribed depends on the individual needs of each patient.

The summary report confirms sleep apnea and severity.

Common Types of Sleep Apnea

You may be diagnosed with one of these types of sleep apnea: obstructive, central, or mixed. Obstructive is the most common, and the cause is usually physical. Central sleep apnea is caused by miscommunication between the brain and the throat. Mixed sleep apnea is when symptoms of both types of sleep apnea are present.

Sleep apnea is a general term used to describe sleep disordered breathing. Apnea is described as a completely obstructed airway and is silent. A hypopnea is more common, and occurs from a partially obstructed airway which typically makes a sound. If you snore, you’re likely experiencing hypopnea. Both are generally referred to as sleep apnea, despite their differences.

What To Expect After Being Diagnosed

If you’re diagnosed with sleep apnea, your doctors will provide you with a treatment plan.

A CPAP machine is the most common prescription.

A sleep medicine specialist will help determine which device will work best for you based on your diagnosis. Sometimes, follow-up is necessary to adjust the pressure or other aspects of the CPAP device.

Standard Treatments:

• Continuous Positive Airway Pressure (CPAP)
• Oral appliance or mouthpiece
• Surgery (very rare cases)

Treatment for sleep apnea depends on multiple factors including the severity, the number of apneas or hypopneas, weight, age, other present health conditions.

For oral appliances, dental history is considered.

After an evaluation by our experts at Sleep Centers of Middle Tennessee, we can help you choose the treatment that best suits you.

Insurance Coverage

Sleep Centers of Middle Tennessee contracts with all major insurance companies.

Most major insurance companies cover the cost of sleep studies and PAP equipment and therapy. Depending on the insurance policy, some companies may require a home sleep apnea test before authorizing a sleep study.

Individual plans vary in their coverage. As a courtesy for all of our patients, we’ll contact your insurance company directly for you and verify your insurance benefits. We will also request authorization and will discuss your coverage before scheduling your sleep study or home sleep test.

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Where To Go For A Sleep Apnea Diagnosis

The Sleep Centers of Middle Tennessee has been diagnosing and treating sleep disorders exclusively for over 25 years. 

At the heart of our approach is a simple question: 

How can we serve you better so you get exceptional sleep, and as a result, the best possible health? 

A sleep test has the potential to not only change how you sleep, but how you live your life. 

If you’re at the point where you’re sick and tired of being tired, reach out. We can help.

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