Basic Information on What is Sleep Apnea Test

If you suffer from sleep apnea, it is recommended that you undergo a sleep apnea test. The sleep apnea test can be done at the sleep disorder center. The doctor will perform a polysomnogram test. The polysomnogram, also known as sleep study contains several components. During the test, a qualified sleep specialist will analyze the physical activities you do when sleeping. By analyzing the physical activities, the sleep specialist is able to determine whether you suffer from sleep apnea. If it is discovered that you have sleep apnea, you need to return to the laboratory and undergo further evaluation. The doctor will suggest a treatment option to help you solve the sleep apnea problem.

The doctor will plug the surface electrode on your face and scalp. The reason the doctor plug the surface electrode on your face and scalp is to let the signals be sent to the measuring equipment. The signals will be generated by the activities of the brain and muscles. The signals are recorded digitally. To measure your breathing, the doctor will put a belt around the chest and abdomen. The oximeter probe will be placed on your finger so that the doctor can measure the level of oxygen. The electro oculogram can be used to record the movement of eyes. When you are sleeping, your eyes will move. The eye movement differs in various sleep stages. Besides, the doctor can use nasal airflow sensor to record the movement of airflow in the nasal passage. Many doctors also use the snore microphone to record the snoring activity.

You don’t have to undergo the test at the sleep study center.

The doctor can use a portable monitoring device to test your sleep apnea problem. In the test, you are required to measure the heart beating rate, oxygen level in the blood and etc. The test can also measure the breathing pattern. If you really suffer from sleep apnea, the report will show drops of oxygen level during the apneas. On the other hand, the result will show rises of the oxygen level when you are awake. If the doctor find out that you have sleep apnea, he may refer you to use a therapy.

It is important that you take the sleep apnea test. By taking the sleep apnea test, the doctor can determine how serious the sleep apnea problem is. After determining the level of the sleep apnea problem, the doctor can decide what treatment you need.

Sleep apneas can only occur when you are sleeping.

When the apnea occurs, you will take in significantly less air into the lungs. As a result, you will suffer from poor oxygen level in the blood. Apneas can be measured in all the sleep stages. The test usually last for 2 hours. To determine how severe the apnea is, you have to divide the number of apneas you have with the sleeping hours. The doctor will use the apnea index to measure the number of apneas. The more apnea index is recoded, the more serious the condition is. Different types of apnea index are used including hypopnea, apnea hypopnea and respiratory disturbance index. Hypopnea index is used to record a decrease in breathing. Hypopneas index is used to record a breath that last for 69 – 26% of a normal breath. It is not exactly like apnea because it causes a 4% drop in the blood oxygen level. To calculate the hypopnea index, you need to divide the number of hypopneas by the sleeping hours.

The apnea hypopnea index is used to measure the severity of apneas and hypopneas. This index is used to determine the overall severity of sleep apnea. To calculate the apnea hypopnea index, you need to divide the number of apneas and hypopneas with the number of sleeping hours.

The respiratory disturbance index includes measuring the respiratory events that are different than apneas and hypopneas. If you don’t have other medical problems and you have an apnea hypopnea index of 15 episodes, you are believed to have sleep apnea problem. Sleep apnea can aggravate your medical conditions such as stroke, heart failure, insomnia and etc. You should quickly receive treatment for the sleep apnea problem so that it will not develop into a worser condition.

There are several types of sleep apnea problems including central sleep apnea, obstructive sleep apnea, and mixed sleep apnea.

Central sleep apnea occurs when the brain is unable to signal the muscle to breathe. In central sleep apnea, the muscle did not make an effort to take a breath. In obstructive sleep apnea, the brain did send a signal to the muscle to take a breath. However, the person is unable to take a breath because the airway is obstructed. It also prevent the victim from having an adequate air flow. Mixed sleep apnea is caused by two types of sleep apnea problems including central sleep apnea and obstructive sleep apnea.

Patients that suffer from sleep apnea can choose to receive therapy. Patients can use the continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) to control a moderate sleep apnea. If you use the continous airway pressure (CPAP) device, you have to wear a mask over your face. The CPAP aims to increase the air pressure in the mouth so that the upper airway can open all the time. Most people prefer to use CPAP to cure the sleep apnea. However, there are many disadvantages to using it. The downside is that it put pressure on the mouth of the patient and causes him to feel cumbersome. Your mouth will feel tensed by the tight straps. If you need adjustment, you need to make trips to the dentist. It is troublesome and can cost you lot of money if you keep going to the dentist to adjust the mask. Before you stop using the CPAP mask, you should speak with the doctor about it. The doctor can suggest alternatives to the CPAP.

Another snoring aid device is the oral appliance.

The oral appliance is a mouthpiece designed to hold your mouth open. By holding your mouth upward, you will be relieved from sleep apnea. The oral appliances come in different sizes. You need to check with your dentist to see what sizes of mouth pieces he has. You can test each mouth piece individually to see which one fits you. You need to follow up with the dentist for 6 months after you find a suitable oral appliance.

Patients that suffer from serious sleep apnea problems have to undergo surgeries such as uvulopalatopharyngoplasty (UPPP), maxillomandibular advancement and tracheostomy. In uvulopalatopharyngoplasty (UPPP), the surgeon will attempt to remove some of the tissues located near the mouth. The surgeon will remove the tonsils and adenoids of the patient so that he can effectively stop the snoring problem. The UPPP surgery does not guarantee recovery for all sleep apnea patients. The maxillomandibular advancement surgery involves moving the jaw forward so that the space behind the tongue is larger. The oral surgeon and orthodontist will perform the maxillomandibular advancement surgery. The tracheostomy surgery is the last resort for patients who did not recover after undergoing the abovementioned surgeries. In tracheostomy, the doctor insert a tube to help the patient breathe easily.

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