Obstructive Sleep Apnea is diagnosed using a sleep test, called a polysomnography. This is an unintrusive painless test, normally covered by insurance.

Personal Observations

Knowing the common symptoms of sleep apnea is the first step in diagnosis that you may be suffering from sleep disorder.

For a quick Sleep IQ Qiz

Physical Examinations

Some people have facial deformities that may cause the sleep apnea. This may include:

a jaw that is smaller than it should be
smaller opening at the back of the throat
enlarged tonsils, adenoids or polyps [common with children]
a large tongue
growth of soft palate tissues partially blocking the airway
deviated nasal septum

Sleep Tests [Polysomnography]

There are two kinds of polysomnograms:

Overnight Sleep Test - the patient sleeps overnight in a 'sleep lab' where Sleep Technologists connect you to electrodes which monitor brain waves, muscle tension, eye movement, respiration, oxygen level in the blood and audio [ snoring, gasping, etc])

Home Monitoring Sleep Test - A Sleep Technologist connects you to electrodes and instructs you on how to record your sleep with a computerized polysomnograph. The test resultsthat you take home and return in the morning.

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