Sleep Apnea Symptoms
Sleep disordered breathing refers to a group of disorders that cause “apnea,” an interruption of breathing during sleep. The most common type of apnea is obstructive sleep apnea or OSA. Common symptoms include:
Sleep apnea symptoms not only impact your quality of life, but also, over time, may contribute to more serious health risks like heart disease, stroke, Type 2 diabetes, and high blood pressure. The medical sleep community recognizes sleep apnea as a condition that can be effectively managed but not cured.
Diagnosis
Step 1: Awareness
Diagnosing sleep disordered breathing conditions begins with becoming aware of typical sleep apnea symptoms. Start with an online evaluation to see how the most common symptoms of sleep apnea might be affecting your day-to-day activities.
Step 2: Testing With A Portable Home Monitor
If the initial evaluation confirms that you are experiencing sleep apnea symptoms, the next step is to establish if you do, in fact, have sleep apnea. We will provide you with a portable home monitor at no cost to measure your breathing patterns while you sleep in the comfort of your own bed.
Pacific Sleep Care follows the Canadian Sleep Society protocols for home monitoring. A Registered Polysomnographic Technician will read and score your results, which will provide the information needed for a sleep apnea diagnosis.
Step 3: Diagnosis
The cause of sleep apnea can be physical, neurological, or both. Diagnosing sleep apnea involves finding the cause of the apnea, which determines treatment. The most common cause is a blockage to the upper airway, a condition called obstructive sleep apnea or OSA. In most cases OSA is successfully managed with CPAP or oral appliance therapy.
