A pause in breathing that occurs while you are sleeping, sleep apnea is extremely common in adults. It does affect some children, but there is usually a medical condition that is to blame. Sleep apnea is diagnosed based on a person’s medical history and tests that can be run at a sleep apnea clinic like the one in Burnaby, BC. Treatments vary depending on the severity of the condition and the prognosis.
How Is Sleep Apnea Diagnosed?
When a sleep study is performed, there are several things that a doctor will look at in order to diagnose this condition.
Breathing must completely stop for 10 seconds or more, or the breathing must dramatically reduce in frequency. The breath must be less than 10% of a normal breath. Other data can be used for a diagnosis, including a 4% drop in oxygen level in the blood. This oxygen drop is because of the reduced breath that is occurring. A sleep apnea clinic can help you find the right diagnosis.
What Is Hypopnea?
Not as severe of a condition as apnea, hypopnea will occur during sleep and will affect more than 30% of a normal breath. With hypopnea, your blood oxygen level will typically drop the standard 3% to 4%. Some people wake up when they experience this event. Other people will switch between stages of sleep. A medical professional will create a hypopnea index by dividing the instances of hypopneas by the number of hours of sleep that you get.
There are many risks associated with sleep apnea. Some people will have high blood pressure, stroke or congestive heart failure because of it. Usually, a CPAP machine will be prescribed. This machine will ensure that you continue to breathe despite a pause in your own breathing. You may notice that you’re feeling more tired than usual when you wake up in the morning, or you may wake up frequently at night if you’re suffering from sleep apnea.
