Signs of Sleep Apnea

There's a good article here about a Missouri hospital and how they've added sleep study capabilities to keep up with demand.

The sleep center is used for conducting sleep studies to detect sleep apnea, a condition where breathing stops during sleep. The article talks about how sleep apnea is often discovered during surgery - at which point the sleep apnea can interfere with the surgery when the patient's irregular breathing lowers oxygen levels. Early detection is key.

The article lists many of the signs of sleep apnea including:
• Daytime sleepiness or dozing off while driving
• Falling asleep at inappropriate times or fighting to stay awake after a full night of rest
• Loud snoring, gasping or choking
• Depression
• Irritability or mood swings
• Sexual dysfunction
• Morning headaches often accompanied by a dry throat
• Frequent nighttime urination
• Lack of concentration
• Memory impairment

If you notice any of these signs, especially if several occur concurrently, talk to your doctor.

The article also talks about how sleep studies work.

Scary Stats About Sleep Apnea

An article written by Don Gronning entitled "Sleeping your way to health" (view article here) on the Daily Record's website (Ellensburg, Washington) quotes Dr. Geoffrey Greenberg, a sleep apnea specialist, as saying that studies show that of the people who have untreated obstructive sleep apnea, 40% die within 8 years.

My advice: Don't fear treatment.

Most people use a CPAP machine, which is simply Continuous Positive Airway Pressure delivered by a small device to a mask that goes over your nose or mouth and nose.

I have severe sleep apnea and use my CPAP every night, all night long. It's set on a very high pressure setting. It took some getting use to, yes, but it is not a medicine. I am currently unaware of side effects except nasal passage dryness, which is treated with over-the-counter saline nose spray.

You are not alone. A lot of people have sleep apnea.

Dr. Greenberg also points out that 4 to 5% of the American population has sleep apnea and it is more common than diabetes.

He reaffirms what I've heard before, that sleep apnea is not necessarily weight related. He states that 10% of sleep apnea sufferers are normal weight.

Sleep Apnea a Problem in China

According to an article by China Daily (here), obstructive sleep apnea syndrome (OSA) affects more than 50 million Chinese people.

But a lot of people don't take sleep apnea seriously. The article goes on to quote Han Fang, of the People's Hospital of Peking University sleep center, who explains that 80% of the patients the sleep center sees are seriously troubled by sleep apnea.

Yet, the articles quotes Fang as pointing out the true issue: "Most of them are transferred by other medical departments to our center - usually in serious condition - rather than turning to us on their own in an early stage."

They didn't know.

The issue is the need to increase sleep apnea awareness. Hopefully, blogs like this one help.

How to Reduce Out-of-Pocket Sleep Study Costs

Not insured? Have to pay out-of-pocket?

The best way to reduce out-of-pocket sleep study costs is to pretend it is like buying a car. Shop around. Do your homework before choosing a sleep center.

Prices can vary from $2500 to $4000 out-of-pocket for a sleep study, according to Express CPAP Supply. That really is like buying a used car.

A Google search for "cost of sleep study" reveals many more discussions of the costs for out-of-pocket sleep studies with some people paying more than $5000 (see here and here).

Why the variation? Not all sleep studies are created equal. According to St. Joseph Memorial Hospital (see here): "Because of the variety of sleep disorders, the required sleep monitoring and evaluation studies may vary and consequently the total cost of the sleep study may also vary."

So it pays to talk to your doctor about the options to minimize out-of-pocket sleep study expenses. Maybe you don't need to fancy sleep study. Or maybe your doctor can recommend lower cost sleep centers.

Another emerging option is special deals that CPAP supply companies offer. For instance, Express CPAP Supply of San Jacinto, California, recently partnered with a sleep lab to offer lower rates for sleep studies. They offer a $999 sleep study and CPAP system combo. More info on Express CPAP Supply's website here.