Waking up in the morning and getting ready for work or school can be difficult if there is sleep deprivation. But what if breathing was the cause of a bad night’s sleep?
Snoring may even seem harmless (if we ignore waking up a bed partner). However, snoring exists due to an obstruction of the upper airway that occurs during sleep. If such snoring is strong enough to interfere with breathing for a few seconds, it then becomes its closest variant: sleep apnea. This chronic and potentially serious medical condition is one of the most common sleep disorders.
A person suffering from sleep apnea , may stop breathing several times an hour. This pause can last ten seconds or more. Consequently, blood oxygen levels decline and, when the brain senses this, it reacts and wakes up the person from deep sleep to resume breathing.
The effects of sleep apnea may cause or worsen other medical conditions such as hypertension and diabetes. Over time, this disorder may contribute to the risk of major consequences such as a heart attack or congestive heart failure, a stroke, and sudden cardiac death.
One of the most important parameters is the oxygen level a person has throughout every sleep stage. It is known as oxygen desaturation whenever this level is below average and the body is not able to function normally. These values are important for the physician to indicate the severity of obstructive sleep apnea and to alert future health problems.
Obstructive sleep apnea and its repeated intervals of not breathing cause the blood oxygen levels to plunge by 3% or more, resulting in oxygen desaturation. Nevertheless, the main concern arises when blood oxygen levels plummet below 90%, especially further below 80%.
The severity of obstructive sleep apnea is measured through blood oxygen levels, the frequency and duration of breathing interruptions, and the amount of reduced airflow. Usually, the longer the interruption, the greater the oxygen drop.
The Importance of Sleep Apnea Diagnosis
If the physician suspects that the patient may suffer from obstructive sleep apnea, they may recommend a sleep study to be conducted during the night. The nocturnal oximetry test is one of the simplest and most practical tests to perform. This process is carried out with a finger oximeter that captures the changes in blood color which may suggest the presence of desaturation (or oxygen loss). Advances in technology have allowed this simplified exam to present exceptional efficiency by using artificial intelligence algorithms and clinical validations.
Most people acknowledge sleeping better at home rather than at a sleep lab. This is certainly true, which is why the Biologix Sleep Test® has a technology that allows at-home sleep apnea assessments.
The Biologix Sleep Test® has the sensitivity, specificity and accuracy to diagnose both snoring and sleep apnea (whether mild, moderate or severe). This Test uses parameters such as oximetry (calculation of the oxygen desaturation index), heart rate, actimetry, and snore analysis.
Obstructive sleep apnea is not something that should be ignored.It is essential for anyone who presents symptoms to be properly diagnosed and treated.
Moreover, the Biologix Sleep Test® is easily incorporated into the routine examinations of any clinic. Therefore, any healthcare practitioner can diagnose sleep apnea.
Offer your patient an innovative diagnosis for treating a major problem!
