recognizing you may have sleep apnea is an important first step. most likely, you already have a main doctor who handles your regular health complaints. see your primary care doctor first if you have questions about snoring, morning headaches, memory problems, or other signs of sleep apnea. board-certified sleep medicine doctors have undergone special training and testing to ensure they can diagnose all sleep-related disorders, including sleep apnea. the best sleep specialist for you may depend on what’s causing your sleep apnea. ask your primary care doctor for a referral or recommendation. they can help if your airways are narrowed by the shape of a body part—for instance, if your tonsils or tongue are large compared with the opening to your windpipe, or if your airway is naturally small. neurologists focus on this and other ways your brain and nerves contribute to sleep apnea. losing weight, sleeping on your side, and quitting smoking may help keep your airways open.
these professionals can also help you manage the effects of poor sleep on mental conditions, including depression, anxiety, and bipolar disorder. some dentists have special training in treating sleep-related breathing disorders, including sleep apnea. usually, a dentist will work with a board-certified sleep specialist to manage your care. if your sleep apnea doesn’t respond to treatments like weight loss, breathing machines, or dental devices, you might need surgery. the type of surgery you have will depend on the cause of your apnea. for these procedures, you’ll usually receive general anesthesia, spend some time in the hospital, and have throat pain for a week or two afterward. ask your surgeon to explain all the benefits and risks before undergoing any procedure. 7,752,060 and 8,719,052. all rights reserved. use of this website and any information contained herein is governed by the healthgrades user agreement.
learn about the importance of sleep and the different types of sleep apneas. if you suspect that you have sleep apnea, the usual first step is to discuss your suspicions with your primary care physician. unfortunately, you may discover that your policy offers limited or no coverage for the diagnosis and treatment of sleep apnea, in which case you may wish to switch insurers if and when you can. you can check the credentials of specialists at the websites of the american board of internal medicine (abim) and the american board of sleep medicine (absm). some sleep centers are accredited by the american academy of sleep medicine (aasm) and you can find them on its website.
none of the devices is painful and there are no needles involved. if obstructive sleep apnea is found, the patient is awakened and fitted with a positive airway pressure device. a substantial amount of data is generated by a sleep study, but the most crucial is the apnea-hypopnea index, or ahi. if you are diagnosed with osa, its severity is one of the factors you and your sleep specialist will weigh as you explore your treatment options. the cost of diagnosing and treating sleep apnea is significant, generally well over $1,000, and if pap therapy is prescribed, charges will be ongoing. be aware, though, that the consequences of untreated sleep apnea, described elsewhere on this web site, could lay a heavy cost on you as well.
if you have obstructive sleep apnea, your doctor might refer you to an ear, nose and throat doctor to rule out blockage in your nose or doctors who can help with sleep apnea include somnologists, neurologists, and dentists. here are the options for sleep apnea treatment. 7 types of doctors who treat sleep apnea 1. primary care doctors 2. sleep specialists 3. ear, nose and throat doctors 4. neurologists 5. psychiatrists or, .
sleep specialists come from a variety of medical backgrounds. they may be pulmonologists (lung specialists), otolaryngologists (ears, nose, and throat), ear, nose, and throat doctor (otolaryngologist). if tests show you have obstructive sleep apnea — sleep apnea that stops your breathing also known as an otolaryngologist, an ent doctor specializes in the treatment of the full range of conditions involving the structures within, .
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