If your bed partner complains about your loud snoring, it may very well be a nuisance — or something more serious. Loud snoring accompanied by snoring, gasping, and short pauses in respiratory is a symptom of obstructive sleep apnea.
Although the condition most frequently occurs in men over 40 who're obese or obese, it may possibly affect people of all ages and sizes. The resulting daytime sleepiness — a direct results of not getting enough high-quality sleep — can leave people moody and forgetful. Even more alarming: automobile accidents are two to 3 times more common amongst individuals with sleep deprivation. Lack of sleep can even raise blood pressure and increase the chance of coronary artery disease, heart rhythm disorders, heart failure, and stroke.
What is the STOPBANG test for sleep apnea?
The easy-to-remember acronym STOPBANG can enable you determine whether it's smart to discuss with a physician about getting a sleep study to find out if you've got sleep apnea. It helps to get input from someone who watches you sleep.
| A “yes” answer to a few or more of those questions indicates a possible sleep problem. Ask your doctor in the event you must have a sleep study. | |
| S | Snoring: Have you been told that you just snore? |
| T | drained: Do you're feeling drained many of the day? |
| Oh | obstacle: Do you already know in the event you stop respiratory when you sleep, or has anyone seen you do it? |
| P | Pressure: Do you've got hypertension or do you're taking hypertension medication? |
| B | Body Mass Index (BMI): Is your BMI 30 or above? (For a calculator, see /bmi.) |
| Oh | age: Are you 50 or older? |
| N | Neck: Is your neck circumference greater than 16 inches (women) or 17 inches (men)? |
| Yes | Genre: are you male |
Sleep monitoring will be done at home.
So, in the event you suspect you've got sleep apnea, ask your doctor for a diagnosis. Or in case your medical insurance means that you can see a specialist with no referral, you may start there as an alternative. “Sleep specialists are better versed in insurance barriers, and they know how to order tests to avoid problems and delays in care,” says Dr. Javahri.
For the test, you'll need a small, lightweight monitor, a belt that you just slip around your midsection, a small finger clip that monitors your oxygen, and an air tube to position under your nose. Will get flow sensor. These sensors and devices measure your oxygen saturation, heart rate, and airflow, in addition to the movements of your chest and abdomen and your position when you sleep.
A serious advantage of home testing is cost, which runs between $150 and $500 in comparison with testing done in a sleep lab, which usually tops $1,000. But the most effective thing about home sleep tests is the convenience. You sleep in your personal bed, not an unfamiliar hospital bed, and you're taking tests in your schedule. However, you'll must get a monitor from the hospital's sleep lab, and also you'll should wait a couple of weeks to get it. Later, in the event you are diagnosed with sleep apnea, home tests also provide a simple way in your doctor to envision how well your treatment is working.