Diagnosis

Testing for obstructive sleep apnea can be done by referral from your physician to a sleep center for a formal sleep study (called a Polysomnogram). This test, performed in a hospital or sleep clinic for one night, records electrical activity of the brain, length of sleep, sleep stages, movement of eyes, number of arousals, number of apneic episodes, volume of nasal and oral airflow, loudness of snoring, unusual leg and arm movements, oxygen saturation level in the blood, cardiovascular abnormalities during sleep, and other measurements.

For a preliminary test, Dr. Hoefs can send the patient home with the Remmers sleep study. It is a test similar to a Polysomnogram, but it is less in depth. This is typically done before treatment, to discover any sleep apnea symptoms. If any apnea is suspected, Dr. Hoefs then recommends a formal Polysomnogram. Once treatment has started, the Remmers study is often repeated to determine how the patient is responding. Along with the take home testing, Dr. Hoefs also performs a Rhinometer and Pharyngometer test in-office which measures the nasal and throat airway.