Is a Home Sleep Apnea Test Accurate? Here’s What You Should Know

Sleep apnea is a disorder that is prevalent and potentially dangerous and has the potential in affecting an individual’s gross physical health and well being. This is a sleeping disorder that is indicated by the individual’s pausing of breathing during the night It can cause daytime drowsiness, increased blood pressure and possibly even heart disease. Depending on the type, diagnosing sleep apnea often starts with a sleep study that most persons go through. Unlike conventional sleep study, where a patient has to spend some time in a sleep clinic, home sleep apnea test (HSAT) is a relatively modern development and is equally effective and comfortable. But really accurate are these novel home-based tests? Writing this article, we are going to look at the efficiency of home sleep apnea test, and the things that you need to consider, if you are thinking to opt for this test.

What is a Home Sleep Apnea Test?

A home sleep apnea test is a diagnostic tool wherein a patient is given a device that they have to use to survery their sleep and breathing at home. The most widely known type of diagnostic is HSATs which usually require a visit to a sleep clinic that can be costly, and a small portable device that picks up several factors during the night, including the flow of air, oxygen levels, and pulse rate. The device is relatively easy to use; it is usually put on the body or installed on the facial area, in the area of the nose and mouth. The data provides to the healthcare provider after the test will then indicate whether the person has sleep apnea or not.

Accuracy of Home Sleep Apnea Tests

Certainly, one of the most frequently asked questions regarding home sleep apnea tests raises some curiosity about their reliability to in-lab sleep testing. In as much as answering this question depends on several parameters, which include the type of device, the severity of the condition and the sleep environment.

In general, home sleep apnea tests are reliable in diagnosing moderate to severe forms of the disease. These tests are geared towards having basic characteristics of the body like air flow, blood oxygen levels and heart rate which are very vital in the determination if sleep apnea is present in individuals. Due to their being less complex and focused, the tests are also more useful for determining where the breathing intervals are rather more extensive.

But, the home sleep test, sometimes, can result in the missing of mild sleep apnea cases. This is so because these tests normally check on fewer parameters compared to in lab tests in which other factors like brain wave and muscle activity are also monitored. In mild cases of sleep apnea or other related disorders, an in lab test called polysomnography may be needed.

Who Should Consider a Home Sleep Apnea Test?

HST is usually advised to those patients who show moderate to severe signs of SAD. Common signs of sleep apnea are therefore loud snoring, choking or gasping for air during sleep, and excessive daytime sleepiness. If a person suffers from such symptoms and has no other diseases that may interfere with the results of a home sleep apnea test, they may be considered as the best option for diagnosing the disease.

However, home sleep test is not good for everyone who wants a sleep apnea test. People with other medical complications including severe heart disease, chronic lung disease, neurological disease, etc endure a full assessment in a sleep clinic. Further, those with severe, multiple comorbidities that make their diagnosis complicated may receive scant information from home testing that they would need the full-spectrum analysis possible during in-lab polysomnography.

Benefits of a Home Sleep Apnea Test

Therefore, the most obvious advantage of home sleep apnea test lies on this factor alone. There are individuals who may find it challenging or even intolerant to have an overnight stay at a sleep clinic and for an individual who gets tested, more often they get worried when connected to several sensors. A home sleep test on the other hand enable an individual sleep in his or her own bed and go to sleep at the usual time as he or she would do. This often results in a much better representation of a person’s sleeping pattern or rather what would be categorized as a sleep disorder based on their current schedule.

In addition, most home sleep tests are cheaper then standard in-lab analyses.

Therefore, I hypothesise that most people with suspected sleep disorders prefer to undergo home sleep tests. With increasing cost of healthcare ,many people are now using home tests as an affordable approach to check for sleep apnea before going for other tests. Second of all, home sleep apnea test results are often processed faster, meaning patients can get their treatment started right away.

Limitations of Home Sleep Apnea Tests

However, similar to other home diagnostic tools, there are some disadvantages of home sleep apnea tests. Perhaps the most disturbing factor is the fact that most of these tests are carried out with an aim of looking for just a few symptoms of sleep apnea and not other related disorders. Likewise, the effectiveness of the test depends on how the device is employed throughout the test procedure. Sensors could be misplaced or not used properly and therefore results that are obtained could be wrong and a repeat study is done in the laboratory.

Additionally, home tests offer not as detailed result as an in-lab study which monitors a wide range of parameters including brain waves, eye movement, muscle activity and much more. This means that even if the home test identifies sleep apnea some other components of sleep health may still require assessment by further tests.

Conclusion

Home sleep apnea test is thus a very efficient and comfortable means of diagnosing moderate to severe sleep apnea especially for those with traditional presentation for example snoring at night and waking up extremely tired in the morning. The reliability of these tests is normally high for serious conditions, but they can miss out on less serious illnesses or produce less statistics compared to a laboratory experiment. In conclusion, home sleep test therefore is an easy, cheap solution that is suitable for those who are candidates for it, meaning that more people will receive their diagnosis and treatment in a faster manner. But if your planning to do a home sleep apnea test, it is advisable to consult a professional, pharmacist, or a doctor to explain the content of your symptoms and medical history.

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