Summary

If you or someone you care about is experiencing loud snoring as well as sleep deprivation because of their pauses in breathing while asleep, it can be a bit alarming. This is because the said symptom is the main characteristic of obstructive sleep apnea.

Sleep apnea is very common and there are certain tests that can be done to determine its presence and severity. Despite the commonality of the disorder, a person should still take it seriously because the condition may eventually result to much more serious medical conditions, such as heart diseases, hypertension, as well as stroke. To know more about obstructive sleep apnea, how it is identified and described, browse the internet.

The loud snoring of a person with obstructive sleep apneawhich can be heard as choking or gasping sounds is because of the obstruction or restriction in their breathing while they are asleep. In addition to that, the other common symptom of the condition is the tiredness that a person generally feels as they woke up in the morning. Other than that, there are other symptoms that may or may not be obstructive sleep apnea. Some of these are dryness in the throat or mouth in the morning, irritability, psychological changes, such as anxiety and depression, and some more. If some or most of these symptoms are present, you might prefer visiting a doctor for diagnostic tests. To learn more about the condition and its symptoms, visit informative sites on the internet.

To finalize the presence of obstructive sleep apnea in a person, he or she must visit a doctor or specialist and undergo certain diagnostic tests. It will be difficult for a physician to simply diagnose the condition based on medical history and physical assessment, that is why, there is a need for certain tests, which can be done at home or at a sleep clinic. There is also a good chance that a doctor would refer the person to a sleep center for further evaluation and management. Obstructive sleep apnea can be determined through two tests, which are the nocturnal polysomnography that is done at a sleep clinic as well as the sleep apnea home test which uses portable devices.

The nocturnal polysomnography assesses the obstructive sleep apnea comprehensively. It would read a lot of bodily functions, such as activities of the brain, heart, and lungs, the breathing pattern and movements of the extremities of the person, and the oxygen saturation of the blood while a person is asleep. This is commonly done at a sleep clinic and can be costly at certain level.

The sleep apnea home test is preferred by most clients as the first line of diagnosis. Most insurance companies would cover the test, making it a practical option when it comes to finances. What makes it better than the former test is the fact that the test is done at the comfort in your own bed. Unfortunately, it is not as detailed as the sleep studies or tests done at clinics.