What is sleep apnea?
What is sleep apnea?
Sleep apnea is a common sleep disorder characterized by repeated pauses in breathing during sleep.
These interruptions, also called apneas, are caused by the collapse of the upper airway, which prevents oxygen from reaching the lungs.
Apneas can have a significant impact on your energy levels, mental performance and long-term health. Therefore, do not ignore potentially dangerous symptoms such as snoring and excessive daytime sleepiness, but consult a sleep medicine specialist. Treatment can help you get the sleep you need to feel like yourself every day.
<iframe width=' height="315" title="YouTube video player" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowfullscreen =""> Video: Sleep Study Play Video 02:57 Visiting the sleep lab is easy and painless. The resulting treatment can completely change your life. A sleep study takes place overnight in a sleep laboratory. Myth: Sleep Lab Myth: I don't think I can fall asleep well in a sleep lab. White line Fact: Although many people experience this fear, most can fall asleep easily in the sleep lab. By Teofilo Lee-Chiong, Dr. med., Chief Medical Interconnect, Philips Healthcare Solutions Your sleep study diagnostic report Your doctor has ordered an overnight sleep study (also called a “polysomnography” or PSG for short) to be performed at a sleep laboratory or at your home to confirm suspicion of to diagnose sleep apnea. When the sleep study is complete, your doctor will share the results with you and discuss how to proceed. You may get a hard copy of your PSG report. If you read the report, you will probably find a lot of unfamiliar technical terms. The example below shows what is typically included in a sleep study diagnostic report. It also explains the technical terms used. Diagnostic report for the sleep study Name: Müller, Max Height: 185 cm Date of the test: 08/09/2012 Date of birth: 01/21/1973 Weight: 93 kg Age: 39 years BMI: 27 Referring doctor: Dr. Acula Gender: Male Test No.: 136 Mr. Miller is a 39 year old male patient who was treated by Dr. Schmidt was admitted with the symptoms of snoring and excessive daytime sleepiness. His partner reports that Mr. Müller has episodes of apnea and wakes up gasping several times during the night. The patient is 185 cm tall and weighs 93 kg, his BMI is 27.0. According to the Mallampati classification, his oropharynx is grade 3. The medical history shows marked hypertension. The current medication consists of Lisinopril and Prilosec. The patient usually goes to bed at 10:30 p.m. To rule out the diagnosis of obstructive sleep apnea (OSA), a full diagnostic laboratory polysomnography was ordered." /> 
Weak breathing muscles, a large tongue, obesity, and other factors can cause the upper airway to collapse and obstruct breathing.
you are not alone
Approximately 10% of the world's adult population suffers from sleep apnea, and approximately 90% of these remain undiagnosed 1 . At least one in five adults in the United States suffers from mild obstructive sleep apnea.
This is frightening as sleep apnea is a serious condition. Sleep apnea disrupts sleep and can have a significant impact on energy levels, mental performance, and long-term health. In some cases, sleep apnea can be fatal if left untreated.
It can be difficult to take the first steps to finding out if you have sleep apnea. We're here to help.
Symptoms and Risks of sleep apnea
An untreated sleep apnea is associated with a number of health risks. Therefore, it is important to consult a sleep disorder specialist if you are exhibiting these signs and symptoms.
nocturnal symptoms
- Loud, constant snoring
- Audible breathing pauses
- gagging or gasping for air
- Restless sleep
- Frequent trips to the toilet
symptoms per day
- Headache early in the morning
- Excessive daytime sleepiness
- Bad concentration
- Depressed moods or easy irritability
- Fatigue during routine activities
Sleep apnea can have serious short- and long-term health risks if left untreated. These include:
- high blood pressure
- cardiac arrhythmias
- heart disease/heart attack
- stroke
- type 2 diabetes
- traffic and work accidents
How is sleep apnea diagnosed?
If you think you have sleep apnea, get reassurance so you can start treatment and enjoy the benefits of better sleep and a healthier life.
You will also find useful information in our brochure "Simply sleep healthily". download here be able.
Do you recognize yourself in the list of sleep apnea symptoms? Then you should see your family doctor.
Discuss your test results with your GP, who will likely advise you to see a sleep lab.
You will be given an appointment in the sleep laboratory, where your sleep will be analyzed in detail and a diagnosis can then be made.
Once you've received your diagnosis, you can learn more about the Philips DreamFamily products here to find out which device is right for you.
What you can expect from a visit to the sleep laboratory
Staying in the sleep laboratory is easy and painless. The resulting treatment can completely change your life. A sleep study takes place overnight in a sleep laboratory.
Myth: I don't think I can fall asleep well in a sleep lab.
Fact: Although many people experience this fear, most can fall asleep easily in the sleep lab.
By Teofilo Lee-Chiong, Dr. med., Chief Medical Interconnect, Philips Healthcare Solutions
The diagnostic report for your sleep study
Your doctor has ordered an overnight sleep study (also called "polysomnography" or PSG for short) at a sleep lab or at your home to clarify suspected sleep apnea. When the sleep study is complete, your doctor will share the results with you and discuss how to proceed.
You may get a hard copy of your PSG report. If you read the report, you will probably find a lot of unfamiliar technical terms. The example below shows what is typically included in a sleep study diagnostic report. It also explains the technical terms used.