Can I Diagnose Myself with Sleep Apnea?

The short answer is yes, with an emphasis on the word “test”. If their home diagnosis suggests the presence of

sleep apnea

, they should usually go to a sleep clinic to confirm it. The home sleep apnea test is a device that can help diagnose

obstructive sleep apnea

at home. This device is a portable breathing monitor that is used during the night.

It monitors your breathing and oxygen levels to detect and measure pauses in breathing, known as apneas. The test calculates an OSA severity score by calculating the average number of respiratory lapses per hour in bed.First, you should schedule an appointment with your primary care doctor or sleep specialist, who will ask you about your symptoms and pre-test you for obstructive sleep apnea. An at-home sleep apnea test is an easy way to find out if you're having trouble breathing at night. It is designed to make testing more accessible and help ensure that people get the treatment they need.

Instead of dividing the total number of respiratory events by the total time spent sleeping, they are divided by the total amount of time spent in bed, which tends to be longer.Nightly sleep studies are significantly more monitoring sleep-related vital signs, including brain waves and leg and eye movements. The device uses the wrist, finger and neck as contact points to measure seven different metrics used to diagnose sleep apnea.If you have obstructive sleep apnea, your doctor may refer you to an otolaryngologist to rule out a blockage in your nose or throat. It's also important to note that, while a home sleep test can be used to diagnose obstructive sleep apnea, an overnight study in a sleep laboratory allows for therapeutic intervention, such as CPAP therapy. Currently, home sleep apnea testing is prescribed for healthy adults with symptoms that suggest moderate or severe sleep apnea, and not another sleep disorder.

However, these types of tests can be more expensive, and people in certain areas may have long waiting lists or may not have easy access to a sleep center.For milder cases of

sleep apnea

, your doctor may recommend only lifestyle changes, such as losing weight or stopping smoking. Polysomnography, a nighttime sleep study conducted in a laboratory, provides the most accurate diagnosis of obstructive sleep apnea. To eliminate snoring and prevent

sleep apnea

, your doctor may recommend a device called a continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) machine. In some cases, self-care may be a way to treat obstructive sleep apnea and possibly central sleep apnea.However, polysomnography is the best option for people suspected of having another medical condition or sleep disorder besides OSA.