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Up to 50% of people who regularly snore have the condition Sleep Apnoea. One of the most common patient statements by people who have not been previously diagnosed with Sleep Apnoea but regularly snore is “Oh I don’t have sleep apnoea”, or similarly “I only snore”. Until an overnight sleep study is conducted, these same people are shocked to find out how serious their sleep apnoea really is.
Assessment should only be carried out by professionals who are members of the Australasian Sleep Association and have experience and training in Sleep Disorders such as Sleep and Respiratory Physicians, ENT Surgeons, GP’s, and Dentists who have specific training and education in treating these conditions.
Off the shelf or over the internet products have very little to no scientific basis or proven benefit in treating sleep disorders, and in many cases the patient may think they are getting a benefit when serious underlying symptoms are being missed because professional assessment has not been sought.
An initial consultation lasting approximately 60 – 90 minutes is required to provide you with a very thorough and detailed examination and assessment of your sleep breathing disorder and suitability for oral appliance therapy. Please allow enough time for this appointment.
In preparation for this consultation, please download and complete the ‘Snoring and Sleep Apnoea Medical History Questionnaire’, and bring this form to your appointment.
If you have had a previous sleep study conducted, please bring this report with you also. If you do not have a copy, please contact your GP or Physician to arrange for a copy of the sleep study report to be sent to us prior to your initial consultation.
Acoustic Reflection Technology
Pharyngeal size, compliance, and the dynamic behaviour of the upper airway are important factors in the production of snoring and obstructive sleep apnoea. Assessment of the upper airway for possible site(s) of obstruction is one of the keys to successful management of these conditions.
The acoustic reflection technique is a reproducible, non-invasive, and free from potential side effects way of accurately measuring and assessing a patients airway. The Pharyngometer and the Rhinometer are used for measuring the upper airway and nasal airway ‘patency’ or ‘openness’ by using sonar like waves that record the shape and diameter of the nose, mouth, and throat.
Accurate and reproducible measurements are then displayed in the form on an airway cross-sectional graph that shows air volume at various distances into the nose or mouth.
Assessment of the airway problem helps determine if an oral appliance is the appropriate treatment choice and how effective it is likely going to be. It also allows the clinician to determine the most effective position of the lower jaw.
Without the use of acoustic technology a practitioner can only guess the optimum fitting in the protrusive (forward) and vertical positions for an oral appliance. In the rare cases where advancing the jaw forward can actually worsen obstructive sleep apnoea, the graphical measurements make this assessment vital.
Overnight Sleep Study
The diagnosis of Snoring, UARS, OSA, and other sleep disorders is made by an overnight sleep study in a hospital or sleep laboratory and is called a polysomnogram (PSG), or Sleep Study. In-hospital or laboratory sleep studies are the gold standard for the diagnosis of sleep disorders.
Sleep studies help evaluate what happens to the body during sleep and records a variety of measurements including electrical activity of the brain (EEG), eye movement (REM), muscle activity, heart rate, breathing, leg movements, air-flow through the nose and mouth, and blood oxygen levels.
Home Monitoring - diagnosis in the comfort of your home
Recent advances in technology have made home-based sleep monitoring devices a viable alternative to the in-hospital sleep studies. Using monitoring equipment and diagnostic software, home sleep studies offer screening for a wide variety of sleep disorders such as Snoring, Obstructive Sleep Apnoea, Periodic Leg Movement Disorder, and Insomnia.
Data from the overnight study is collected, downloaded and then sent to a Sleep Physician for reporting. The benefits of home monitoring are the patient sleeps in their own bed, Medicare rebates apply to the cost, and hospital waiting lists are avoided. Occasionally following home-based studies, findings of an aberrant nature may dictate that a referral for an attended overnight hospital or laboratory based sleep study is warranted.
Prior to treatment commencing with oral appliances, CPAP, or surgery, it is important that a baseline sleep study is conducted to accurately assess the severity of your sleep disorder. This will be arranged for you either in-hospital or in-home and discussed with you during your initial consultation.
Site © 2007-2008 Dr. Tony Eldridge B.D.S. Last modified July 31, 2008.