sleep Apnea Home Test

Will Medicare fund the treatments of seniors who self-diagnose using a sleep apnea home test? This critical question has provoked fierce debate on both sides of the issue. On the one hand, seniors who rely on a sleep apnea home test to diagnose may not get a completely accurate picture of their prognosis: while the tests work well in some patients to detect arrhythmias in breathing and sleeping patterns, they occasionally miss critical symptoms. On the other hand, seniors who do undergo lab observation are often tremendously inconvenienced - not to mention made uncomfortable – by what can be a drawn out and costly process of sorting through possible causes and effects.

Once apnea has been diagnosed (in some form or another) via a sleep apnea home test or lab test, patients can opt for a full spectrum of treatment options, ranging from mild to extreme. On the mild end, patients can simply change their sleeping-position habits. Sleeping laterally (on the side) can reduce airway constriction. Changing the angle of sleep from zero degrees (flat on your back) to around 25 degrees (recliner position) can also work wonders by reducing the weight load on the respiratory system. (Incidentally, this treatment is also often prescribed for patients with congestive heart failure, which can be linked with apnea.) Special mattresses and pillows (so-called “cervical pillows”) can also encourage better nighttime positioning. Finally, one of the simplest and (at least anecdotally) most effective techniques involves sleeping with a tennis ball down the back of one’s shirt to discourage supine slumber.

Extreme measures include corrective surgery, customized oral appliance prescriptions, and drugs to regulate neural functioning or blood pH (such as acetazolamide).