When our Spring, TX, residents come to us seeking sleep treatment, we need to understand the cause and extent of their difficulties. In order to obtain a detailed look at their natural nighttime habits, we may suggest at-home sleep testing. How do we use sleep testing to identify sleep apnea, and what should our patients with obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) expect?
The Warning Signs of Sleep Apnea
When should you be concerned about your sleep habits? Warning signs of sleep apnea vary, but often include snoring, daytime drowsiness, headaches, dry mouth when waking up, and episodes of waking suddenly in the night struggling to breathe and gasping for air. Moodiness and difficulty concentrating on tasks at work or school are often common too. That’s because at night the disorder causes soft tissues to collapse and block our breathing. When we stop breathing, the brain wakes us up. For some, this happens hundreds of times every night, even if they don’t remember waking. During the day, sufferers remain exhausted and sleep deprived, assuming they slept the night before.
The Sleep Testing Process
If you have trouble sleeping, then contact us to talk about a test. We won’t require you to rest in a uncomfortable lab setting. Instead, we send you home with the test itself. As you sleep, our machine monitors you and records apneic episodes, blood oxygen levels, breathing exertion, and other factors that could point to OSA. We look at the results and discover whether you need to undergo treatment. The home test offers an accurate and precise diagnosis.
Try Our Questionnaire
When you visit our website, you will find a simple questionnaire you can take at home and bring with you to the office. You answer a series of questions about whether you have a history of OSA, your sleep habits, and your other factors that could help us find out if you need to undergo testing.
Treatment Options
If we find you have OSA, then we offer a solution with a personalized sleep solution. We custom-make a device that you wear at night. The oral appliance fits like a mouthguard and helps reposition the jaw, keeping airways open and preventing the collapse of soft tissues. Since you breathe without interruption, you avoid the symptoms and harmful impacts of OSA. If you have any questions about treating your OSA, or about sleep testing or our oral appliances, then contact our team today.
Ready for Your Sleep Test?
If you feel that you may suffer from poor sleep, then please let us know right away. For more information in treating common sleep issues, then please call Houston Sleep Solutions in Spring, TX, at (281) 320-2000, or in Pearland, TX, at (832) 564-3508.
