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Diagnosing Sleep Apnea

Jacksonville, Ponte Vedra, Oakleaf, and Orange Park, Florida

If you suspect you are suffering from sleep apnea because you have the common symptoms such as daytime sleepiness, fatigue, and dozing off, it is crucial that you seek out a diagnosis and get treatment as soon as possible. The only way to protect yourself from the potentially deadly consequences of sleep apnea, such as heart attacks, strokes, and other cardiovascular events, is to have your sleep apnea treated. On the other hand, eliminating sleep apnea can also help you pursue other causes for your symptoms.

At Blankenship Dentistry, sleep dentist Keith Blankenship, DDS, can help you get your sleep apnea diagnosed and get the treatment you need to protect yourself from sleep apnea. To talk to Dr. Blankenship, please contact us today and schedule your sleep apnea consultation.

How Sleep Apnea Is Diagnosed

Traditionally, sleep apnea is diagnosed with a polysomnogram (PSG) performed at a sleep center. A PSG monitors many different aspects of your body function during sleep, including eye movement, muscle activity, breathing patterns, oxygen levels in the blood, and brain function. The information from the PSG can be used to identify the number and severity of sleep apnea events, and can definitively diagnose the presence of sleep apnea. The type of sleep apnea you have and the best treatment for you may be determined based on other information, including a physical exam, x-rays, and descriptions of your symptoms. One major advantage of a PSG at a sleep center is that it can often detect a wide variety of sleep disorders. This type of test is the most preferred and widely used due to its high level of information.

Sleep center PSGs have a number of disadvantages. People may have trouble sleeping at the sleep center. Because of the change in routine, sleep apnea may not manifest itself in the same way. Finally, scheduling difficulties may make it hard for people to get out to a sleep center for the test. All of these circumstances have contributed to the demand for at-home sleep tests.

At Home Sleep Apnea Tests

To try to overcome the drawbacks of sleep studies at sleep centers, many sleep centers and dentists are now offering take-home sleep tests. According to recent studies, at-home sleep tests have been shown to be as accurate at detecting sleep apnea as sleep studies conducted in a sleep center. You will be given sleep test equipment to wear at night. They vary, but in general it will include a finger sensor that monitors blood oxygen concentration, nose tubes for monitoring airflow, and a belt that registers breathing effort. It may also monitor heart rate.

We can provide you with a home sleep test or help you schedule an appointment at a sleep center for a sleep test. Once you have been diagnosed, we can recommend an appropriate sleep apnea treatment.

If you suspect you may have sleep apnea, it is important to get a diagnosis as soon as possible to avoid the potential consequences of the condition. Sleep apnea can lead to progressive damage, so it is important to begin treatment as soon as possible. To learn more, please contact us today to schedule a sleep apnea consultation at Blankenship Dentistry, helping patients in and around the Jacksonville, Florida area.