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Sleep Apnea: Should I Have a Sleep Study?

Submitted by MLEBE5 on Tue, 12/06/2011 - 13:42

Sleep Apnea: Should I Have a Sleep Study?

 
Sleep apnea occurs when a person's breathing often is blocked or partly blocked during sleep. It can be mild, moderate, or severe, based on the number of times each hour that breathing stops (apnea) or slows (hypopnea).
The two main types of sleep apnea are:
Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA), which is the result of blocked airflow during sleep, such as from narrowed airways. Other things, such as obesity, often contribute to obstructive sleep apnea.
Central sleep apnea, which results from a problem with how the brain signals the breathing muscles. This type of apnea can occur with conditions such as heart failure, brain tumors, brain infections, and stroke.
A child or adult who has sleep apnea may snore loudly and have restless sleep with difficulty breathing. He or she may wake up with a headache. Or the person may be very tired throughout the day.
Sleep apnea may improve with changes in sleep habits, such as not sleeping on your back. Sleep apnea is usually treated first with a continuous positive air pressure (CPAP) device that improves breathing during sleep. Sometimes other devices are used to help breathing during sleep, and sometimes surgery may help.
 
Your options
  • Have a sleep study.
  • Don't have a sleep study. Instead, use lifestyle changes to try to reduce snoring.
Key points to remember
  • If you snore but don't have other symptoms of sleep apnea, you may not need a sleep study. Lifestyle changes, such as losing weight (if needed), sleeping on your side, and sleeping at the same time every night, may reduce your snoring.
  • If you have symptoms of sleep apnea, including being very tired and sleepy during the day, your doctor will probably suggest a polysomnography sleep study. This test is the only sure way to find out if you have sleep apnea.
  • You may want to know if you have sleep apnea, because it has been linked with other health problems including high blood pressure, stroke, diabetes, heart failure, and depression. It also can lead to car accidents.
Symptoms of sleep apnea can include:
  • Being so sleepy during the day that you fall asleep while working or driving.
  • Feeling tired in the morning.
  • Having trouble concentrating.
  • Waking up with a headache.
Your bed partner may notice that while you sleep:
  • You stop breathing.
  • You often snore loudly.
  • You gasp or choke.
  • You toss and turn.
Snoring and lack of sleep from apnea can make it hard to get through the day. You may feel grouchy a lot and have trouble focusing on work and activities. If you snore, your bed partner also might not get enough sleep. This can make your relationship suffer.
 
Treatment for sleep apnea can include:
  • Lifestyle changes, such as losing weight (if needed), sleeping on your side, going to bed at the same time every night, avoiding alcohol just before bedtime, and not smoking.
  • Continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP). This uses a machine to keep your airway open while you sleep.
  • Oral breathing devices that you wear while you sleep to help keep your airway open.
  • Medicines to help you stay awake during the day.
  • Surgery. There are several types of surgery, including:
    • Surgery to remove extra tissue in the throat (uvulopalatopharyngoplasty).
    • A procedure that moves the upper and lower jaw forward to enlarge the airway (maxillo-mandibular advancement, or MMA).
    • A procedure that shrinks the size of the tongue and other tissues in the mouth that can interfere with breathing while sleeping (radiofrequency ablation, or RFA).
    • Surgery to implant small plastic rods in the soft palate (palatal implants). The implants make the soft palate stiffer to keep the tissue from blocking the airway.
    • Laser-assisted surgery to reshape the tissue of the palate so it does not block the airway (laser-assisted uvulopalatoplasty, or LAUP).
    • Surgery that makes a hole through the neck and the windpipe (tracheostomy).
Your doctor probably will have you try lifestyle changes and CPAP first. But surgery might be your first choice if your sleep apnea is caused by a blockage that can be fixed easily.
 
Your doctor might recommend a sleep study if:
  • You have symptoms of sleep apnea, such as heavy snoring and being sleepy during the day.
  • You have a risk of other health problems from sleep apnea.
  • Lack of sleep is hurting your quality of life.
Last Revised: June 17, 2011
Author: Healthwise Staff
Medical Review: Anne C. Poinier, MD - Internal Medicine & Mark A. Rasmus, MD - Pulmonology, Critical Care Medicine, Sleep Medicine
This information does not replace the advice of a doctor. Healthwise, Incorporated disclaims any warranty or liability for your use of this information.