You may need a sleep study if you suffer from sleep disorder symptoms. This overnight exam is painless and uses sensors attached to different body parts to monitor sleep activities, such as breathing, heart rate, snoring, eye movements, and oxygen levels.
Specialized Training
Specialized education is more closely aligned with the tasks that must be completed in a target career. Generally, specialized training is found at vocational schools or trade schools that offer courses for specific careers such as cosmetology, finishing carpentry, and medical assisting.
A sleep disorder such as snoring or obstructive sleep apnea can affect stamina, focus, and energy. Untreated can also lead to high blood pressure, heart disease, depression, stroke, obesity, and even death.
When choosing the best sleep apnea doctor in Houston to treat your condition, ensure they have undergone specialized training. A qualified physician can diagnose the underlying problem using a sleep study performed by technologists who monitor your breathing pattern, movements, snoring, heart rhythm, oxygen levels, and more during sleep. It is crucial because it will help them recommend the best treatment option for you. They may recommend lifestyle changes, CPAP therapy, or surgical options.
Experience
A good sleep apnea doctor in Houston will have extensive experience treating various sleep disorders. Having this level of expertise will help them diagnose your condition correctly and prescribe the best treatment for you.
Whether you have mild or severe obstructive sleep apnea, the condition is quite serious and can lead to several complications if left untreated. For example, it can result in high blood pressure and heart disease. It can also increase the risk of diabetes and obesity.
To diagnose your sleep disorder, the specialist will perform a sleep study which can be done at a clinic or home. The test measures your snoring, breathing, oxygen levels, and other factors. The sleep study results will be used to determine your treatment plan. In most cases, the sleep specialist will recommend a CPAP machine as the first step. However, this device is only sometimes comfortable to use. In addition, it is not practical for all patients with obstructive sleep apnea.
Reputation
The first medical professional most people see when they suspect they have sleep apnea is their primary care doctor. This person will often refer the patient to a sleep medicine specialist for testing and diagnosis.
The specialist will then examine the patient and determine what may be causing their symptoms, such as a neurologist if there are underlying neurological disorders like Parkinson’s, MS, or ALS that could cause the muscles to relax and narrow the airway, or an otolaryngologist if there are abnormalities of the nasal passages or the tonsils that could obstruct breathing or a dentist who is trained in sleep dentistry.
The patient will also undergo a sleep study which can be done at home or in the clinic to monitor their breathing, heart rate, oxygen levels, and snoring during the night. These tests are essential in determining the severity of your condition and how to treat it best. This information is also crucial in obtaining insurance coverage for treatment.
Insurance Coverage
While loud snoring, fatigue, and gasping for air at night may be alarming, these symptoms are often attributed to sleep apnea. Often, people who suffer from these symptoms are referred to a sleep medicine specialist by their primary care doctor or a neurologist.
A qualified sleep apnea doctor will conduct a sleep study, which monitors your breathing patterns, heart rate, oxygen levels, and movement. Your physician will recommend lifestyle changes, CPAP therapy, oral appliances, or surgical options based on the results.
If you’re a veteran diagnosed with sleep apnea, VA will consider your condition a service-connection disability. However, you must show evidence that you have followed a consistent treatment plan.
In general, life insurance companies consider sleep apnea to be a pre-existing condition. Depending on your diagnosis’s severity and treatment compliance, you may be eligible for standard or preferred premium rates. It would be best if you were prepared to share your diagnosis information during the life insurance application process.
