If you have symptoms of obstructive sleep apnea, such as loud snoring and tiredness during the day, you may be able to skip the in-office sleep lab and get a diagnosis using home sleep testing. Pramil Vaghasia, MD, and Ruchi Bansal, MD, at Prime Pulmonary & Sleep Center can give you a sleep testing kit that measures your breathing while you sleep in the comfort of your bed. Don’t wait to get help for sleep apnea. Book an appointment online or call the office in Bakersfield or Delano, California, today.
If your symptoms suggest you have sleep apnea, you need to have a sleep study to verify your diagnosis and determine the severity of the apnea. You can have a sleep study in Prime Pulmonary & Sleep Center’s on-site sleep center, or you may qualify to do your sleep testing at home.
Most people who may have obstructive sleep apnea qualify for a home sleep study. However, your provider may want you to come into the clinic for a sleep study if your symptoms suggest another type of sleep disorder, such as:
Prime Pulmonary & Sleep Center also recommends supervised sleep studies for people with heart conditions and chronic obstructive pulmonary disorder (COPD).
Prime Pulmonary & Sleep Center gives you a home sleep study kit. There are two types, one that you return to the doctor and a disposable kit that you throw away after finishing your testing.
The home sleep test kit includes:
The monitor is a small device that records the information obtained from the finger clip, chest belt, and nasal cannula.
You place this over your finger, where a sensor measures the oxygen levels in your blood.
This belt goes around your chest, where it detects movement that reflects your breathing. The chest belt also holds the portable monitor.
A cannula is a slim, lightweight tube with two prongs that go into your nose. This part of your home sleep test measures airflow.
Depending on the type of device, you may need to download the information using a smartphone, or you return the monitor, and your provider downloads the data in the office.
The results tell how many apnea episodes you have while sleeping. An apnea episode occurs when you stop breathing for at least 10 seconds. Your provider also looks at how much your oxygen levels drop during apnea episodes.
The number of apnea episodes you have per hour tells your provider at Prime Pulmonary & Sleep Center if you have obstructive sleep apnea and, if so, whether it’s mild, moderate, or severe. They then base your treatment on apnea severity.
If you have symptoms of obstructive sleep apnea, don’t wait to seek help; call Prime Pulmonary & Sleep Center, or book an appointment online today.
LOCATIONS
8305 Brimhall Rd.,
Suite 1601
Bakersfield, CA 93312
1205 Garces Highway,
Suite 203
Delano, CA 93215
OFFICE HOURS
Monday: 8am - 6pm
Tuesday: 8am - 6pm
Wednesday: 8am - 6pm
Thursday: 8am - 6pm
Friday: 8am - 6pm
Saturday: Closed
Sunday: Closed
Sleep Studies:
Monday-Sunday 8pm- 6am