FIRST STEPS TO TREATMENT
First Steps to Treatment
At our Dental Sleep Medicine Centers we want to help you on your road to get back your rested sleep.
There are 2-3 of steps to diagnosing sleep apnea and we can arrange all of them for you:
- A physical exam by a physician
- A Home sleep study
- A Polysomnography if the doctor determines it is needed after the home sleep study
A physical exam
is the first step. Your doctor will look for structural and tissue abnormalities in your mouth, throat, and nose. This is the time you'll also be asked about symptoms you're experiencing as well as your family history. A diagnosis is not generally made at this step.
If the doctor believes you may have sleep apnea,
an at home sleep study
will be suggested or prescribed. To complete the study, you will be given a portable device to wear while sleeping. The device gathers information on airflow (nasal and oral), oxygen levels, and respiratory effort (how easy or difficult it is to break). The duration can range from 1-3 nights. A diagnosis may be made at this point.
Depending on the results of the at home sleep study, your doctor may want you to complete a polysomnography
(a sleep study completed in a lab). The study occurs while you're asleep. More sensors are attached than with the at home sleep study to gather additional information, such as brain waves, eye movement, and blood pressure. Your doctor will look at the results and determine if you do have sleep apnea.