Managing a sleep disorder can be the key to regaining control of your sleep and overall health. Explore the accessible home sleep testing and treatments from the Dental Sleep Medicine team at the Sleep Cycle Center to manage your health through reliable and accurate sleep apnea diagnosis.
Understanding Obstructive Sleep Apnea and Health Conditions
Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) has been linked to many chronic health conditions. These include cardiovascular diseases, type 2 diabetes, obesity, and even a reduced life expectancy. Sleep apnea is a condition where you stop breathing as you sleep. Roughly one in three people worldwide are living with the condition, with more than 80% of those undiagnosed. They are struggling with the day-to-day symptoms and risk factors that are associated with sleep apnea and other co-morbid medical problems.
Diagnose Sleep Apnea With Dental Sleep Medicine
Although there is no way to prevent sleep apnea once the symptoms have started to develop, the effective treatment options that follow a diagnosis can be beneficial in reducing secondary health concerns, such as improving sleep and overall quality of life. Even for those patients who have been diagnosed with mild sleep apnea, positive outcomes are beneficial and recommended through diagnosis and treatment for managing secondary medical conditions and getting their sleep back on track. Those who suffer from more severe symptoms or live with more complex forms of the sleep condition, such as central or severe obstructive sleep apnea, will see greater benefits.
Take Control of Health Problems With Home Sleep Apnea Testing
Sleep apnea in adults is diagnosed through two primary types of medical testing: an overnight sleep study in a hospital and clinical setting, or through a home sleep test recommended by a dedicated sleep center. Our clinics can help you choose a home sleep test provider that meets your needs. A diagnosis is achieved during the testing process by carefully analyzing a person’s sleep behavior and the body’s vital signs during the night. The data collected is used to score sleep apnea episodes against the apnea-hypopnea index (AHI). The scoring of the AHI determines the severity of the condition and is used to plan the next steps in patient care and referrals to partners within our network where required. Essentially, more apneas will deliver a higher score on the AHI and indicate a more severe sleep apnea.
Managing Sleep Disorders Can Help Other Medical Conditions
Sleep is essential to a person’s health and well-being. It helps the body rest and recover from illness or injury and prepare for the next day. Unfortunately, chronic sleep disorders, such as sleep apnea, are known to disrupt sleep quality and put patients at risk of additional health complications.
A diagnosis of obstructive sleep apnea can be the first step for many patients in reducing their ongoing symptoms and taking back control of their overall health and well-being, reducing the risk factors of additional medical complications with effective apnea management.
Stabilize Blood Pressure Levels
Hypertension, which is more commonly known as high blood pressure, is present in more than 50% of apnea cases, according to the American Heart Association . A decrease in oxygen levels, which is often caused by the disruption to normal breathing patterns during an apnea episode, can increase the blood pressure in the body and result in further health problems if it is left untreated for a prolonged period of time.
Although the treatment options for sleep apnea do not directly target hypertension, as an antihypertensive medication would, a diagnosis of the sleep disorder and therapy to reduce apnea episodes can help to reduce high blood pressure if the problem is exacerbated by uncontrolled sleep apnea.
Eliminate Risks Caused by Daytime Sleepiness
Poor quality sleep can leave a person feeling fatigued and struggling to cope with daily challenges. It increases the risk of accidents, injuries, and mismanagement of other medical conditions. Patients who are living with untreated sleep apnea may feel too exhausted to participate in physical activity that helps to reduce excess weight and boost their mood. They may experience difficulty focusing and forgetfulness that can lead to missing important medical appointments, medication dosages and timings, and can lead to difficulties at work. There are also additional concerns surrounding motor vehicle accidents for people who are living under the fog of chronic fatigue. Excessive daytime sleepiness can cause serious injuries and long-term medical problems if unmanaged sleep apnea leads to tiredness behind the wheel of a car.
Treating Sleep Apnea For Better Health
Following a formal diagnosis of obstructive sleep apnea, patients can find a treatment option that works best for them to reduce their apnea episodes while sleeping and eliminate the risks of daytime fatigue caused by the sleep-disordered breathing condition. Many people feel better rested and ready for the day ahead once good sleep quality has been restored. This includes tackling the obstacles and long-term management of apnea, alongside other health conditions. Here are some of the many examples patients can find in better management of their health and other medical conditions through effective apnea diagnosis and treatment.
Work Towards a Healthy Weight
Obstructive sleep apnea is present in around 37% of obese patients , with 40% experiencing moderate sleep apnea or more severe cases of the condition. The links between the two medical issues can often overlap with many other secondary conditions, such as hypertension, insulin resistance—which can lead to the development of diabetes—and disruption to the body’s natural hormones that regulate appetite and metabolism. These conditions are often reported as being co-morbid in both obesity cases and sleep apnea patients.
Sleep deprivation, which is caused by frequent nightly awakenings because of the apnea episodes, and other contributing factors of the sleep disorder can make losing weight a difficult task, especially with the additional obstacles and complications daytime sleepiness can bring for patients. Understanding the challenges that weight loss and apnea can bring following a formal diagnosis and effective apnea management can empower patients to explore solutions for working towards healthy body weight and reducing excessive sleepiness. Both of these impact their ability to lose weight and can exacerbate symptoms of the condition.
Alternative therapies, such as weight management plans and guidance, can also be arranged after a patient undergoes a sleep test for apnea as part of their personalized treatment plan. Find out more about our professional guidance and weight loss programs for apnea patients as part of their treatment plan.
Reduce Risks of Cardiovascular Disease
Heart disease is one of the leading causes of death across the US and globally. Conditions such as OSA only increase the risk of strokes, high blood pressure, congestive heart failure, and other associated cardiovascular diseases. People who are living with a sleep disorder are more likely to experience heart failure by 140% and coronary heart disease by 30%, according to the Sleep Foundation , making a sleep apnea diagnosis and its treatment fundamental to good heart health.
The strain sleep apnea can put on the heart, and its effects on oxygen levels, blood pressure, and heart rate, are well-known by medical professionals. These are indicated when patients undergo testing for potential sleep problems. The testing devices used in both hospital-based settings and through home sleep apnea testing will track the changes in their heart rate, breathing, and blood oxygen levels. They assess the likelihood of a person suffering from the condition and the severity of the sleep disorder. These findings can be crucial in ensuring patients have access to the right care and treatments to successfully manage the sleep condition with better long-term outcomes for their cardiovascular—and overall—health.
Support Good Mental Health
It’s unsurprising to learn that people who are struggling to have a decent night’s sleep for a prolonged period of time may have trouble with their mental health and well-being. Sleep issues are regularly reported by patients struggling with depression, anxiety, or other mental health concerns.
The impacts of mental health on sleep apnea patients remain largely unknown and require more investigation. However, further testing and research through studies surrounding veterans suffering from the complications of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) have revealed clear links between the development of PTSD, insomnia, and sleep apnea.
Treatments For Supporting Management of Obstructive Sleep Apnea
Treatments for sleep apnea focus primarily on managing symptoms of the condition and reducing breathing disruptions, unlike other sleep conditions. The therapy for insomnia or restless leg syndrome, which causes uncontrolled leg movements during sleep, can often rely on sleeping pills to help patients fall asleep and keep them resting peacefully at night.
Therapy and long-term treatment options are often prescribed following a formal diagnosis of apnea through specialist sleep testing. This reviews if a person has OSA or a more complex form of the condition, such as central sleep apnea. Patients who are formally diagnosed with sleep apnea have a range of treatment options available. The suitability for specific treatments can vary based on whether a diagnosis of mild to moderate sleep apnea or more severe sleep apnea is confirmed.
Oral appliances, continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) therapy, positional therapy—adjusting the sleep position—and lifestyle changes are some of the many options that are available to patients. Many of these are approved by the Food and Drug Administration and are supported by the American Academy of Sleep for people diagnosed with sleep apnea.
Working With Dental Sleep Experts For Better Health
More than 40% of confirmed diagnoses for obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) are now achieved through home testing equipment. Home sleep studies offer advanced and accessible remote testing equipment to evaluate a person’s sleep health in a realistic and natural sleep environment.
The remote sleep study services we recommend work with reputable medical equipment providers and sleep doctors to diagnose sleep apnea and snoring disorders accurately. They provide a reliable diagnosis by sleep experts that is used to plan personalized treatment plans with optimum long-term results. A diagnosis of apnea and a pathway to better health can be made without even visiting a hospital using HIPAA-compliant devices that are securely connected through cloud-based technology from the comfort of a patient’s bedroom, offering more people access to specialist treatments and care.
Following a formal diagnosis, our Dental Sleep Medicine team will work with patients, their family, and their primary care provider, if required, to build a personalized treatment plan that is suited to their lifestyle and medical needs. This will consider other ongoing health concerns that are impacted by the chronic sleep condition. Explore our wide range of treatment options and services, including home testing devices equipped to diagnose sleep apnea.
Schedule a Consultation with The Sleep Cycle Center for Home Sleep Testing
If you are concerned that a sleep disorder may impact other health conditions or have been advised to seek further investigations through a sleep team or relevant healthcare professional, schedule a consultation to discuss our remote sleep testing services and treatments at the Sleep Cycle Center.
