Sleep Apnea Diagnosis & Treatment in Cypress, Tx
If you are diagnosed with a sleep disorder, we have the latest treatment therapies available to help you gain your best sleep.
Home Sleep Test
Sleep apnea is diagnosed during an overnight sleep study. The good news is, it can be done in the comfort of your own home, when appropriate. We would provide the monitoring device that you wear a couple nights at home. After returning the device, we will download the data. A board-certified sleep specialist interprets the data and writes a report. We review your results at your next appointment and together determine the best treatment for you.
Polysomnogram (PSG)/PSG with Continuous Positive Airway Pressure (CPAP)
In certain cases an overnight in-lab sleep study or PSG is indicated. You will sleep in a private room set-up like a hotel. A sleep technician will attach sensors to measure your brain waves, breathing, heart rate, oxygen level, and leg movements. A board-certified sleep specialist interprets the data and writes a report. If sleep apnea is confirmed, you will come back the next night to repeat the study while wearing a CPAP mask. When you sleep, the technician will increase the pressure until apneas are minimized. The sleep specialist will again interpret the data to determine the optimal CPAP pressure. At your follow-up visit, we will review the results of one or both studies and order CPAP, if indicated.
PSG/Multiple Sleep Latency Test (MSLT)
For patients with sleepiness (not caused by sleep apnea) a PSG/MSLT may be indicated. The patient would sleep overnight (see PSG above) and the following day stay for a series of four to five naps. The data is analyzed and interpreted by a sleep specialist to determine how quickly you fell asleep and if your sleep patterns are consistent with narcolepsy. Keep in mind, a normal or negative study does not rule-out narcolepsy. Sometimes it is necessary to repeat the study.
Positive Airway Pressure (PAP) Devices
Untreated sleep apnea leads to an increased risk of hypertension, diabetes, heart disease, atrial fibrillation, stroke, and dementia. Because of this increase risk, our provider and staff customizes the care with each individual patient to verify his or her sleep apnea is optimally treated with PAP. We work closely with the Durable Medical Equipment (DME) supply companies that we refer to for machines, masks, and supplies. Below is some information about the different machines and masks that we order.
A CPAP machine delivers a constant pressure during sleep, that is determined based on an in-lab CPAP Titration study. A BiPAP delivers a higher pressure on inspiration and a lower pressure on expiration (making it easier to exhale) often for patients requiring a higher pressure, which is also determined during an in-lab titration study. Auto-PAPs can be CPAP or BiPAP. Instead of a set pressure or set pressures, a range of pressure is given (ordered by the practitioner) and the machine adjusts the pressure automatically as needed within the given range.
Masks
Masks are no longer large and cumbersome. There are a variety of types (under the nose, over the nose, full-face, hybrids, etc.), shapes, and sizes. There is no “one size fits all” when it comes to CPAP masks. Our practitioner works closely with you and your DME provider to find the right mask for you.
