How is sleep apnea diagnosed?

Sleep apnea is professionally diagnosed by a sleep study where the patient's oxygen level, respiratory effort, and air flow are all measured. Scott Leibowitz, MD, FAASM, talks about sleep apnea diagnosis.

Transcript

00:00

In addition, videotape is going. So that doesn't really necessarily help your sleep. But essentially, you're being monitored entirely through this entire night.

00:07

And everything from your sleep quality can be gauged, as well as the severity of the sleep apnea. [MUSIC PLAYING]

00:24

Sleep apnea is most commonly diagnosed by a bed partner, who essentially is listening to you snore and stop breathing. But beyond that, it actually needs

00:31

to be formally characterized in more of an attended formal setting. And that's where the sleep study will come into play. Sometimes we'll refer to the sleep study as a polysomnogram.

00:39

But essentially, what this is is where you actually go to a sleep center, get wired up head to toe, measured everything from your brain activity through EEG,

00:46

your muscle activity through EMG, your heart activity essentially through an EKG. Your oxygen level, respiratory effort, and airflow all

00:55

are being measured simultaneously while you're sleeping. In addition, videotape is going. So that doesn't really necessarily help your sleep.

01:01

But essentially, you're being monitored entirely through this entire night. And everything from your sleep quality can be gauged as well as the severity of the sleep apnea.

01:09

In some instances, we'll use home sleep testing, where we'll measure fewer channels. But we're able to diagnose sleep apnea

01:15

through these channels in a number of selected and appropriate patients. [AUDIO LOGO]