Sleep Apnea - Screening and Prevention - Screening and Prevention

To screen for sleep apnea or other sleep disorders, your doctor may ask you about common signs and symptoms of this condition, such as how sleepy you feel during the day or when driving, and whether you or your partner has noticed that you snore, stop breathing, or gasp during your sleep. Your doctor may ask questions to assess your risk for developing this condition and take your physical measurements. Your doctor will also want to see whether you have any complications of undiagnosed sleep apnea, such as high blood pressure that is difficult to control. If the screening suggests a sleep breathing disorder, you may get a referral to a sleep specialist to help confirm a diagnosis.

If you are concerned about having risk factors for developing sleep apnea, ask your doctor to recommend healthy lifestyle changes, including eating a heart-healthy diet, aiming for a healthy weight, quitting smoking, and limiting alcohol intake. Your doctor may recommend that you sleep on your side and adopt healthy sleep habits such as getting the recommended amount of sleep.

• Diagnosis will discuss tests and procedures that your doctor may use to diagnose sleep apnea and rule out other conditions or medicines that may be causing symptoms of sleep apnea.
• Living With will explain what your doctor may recommend to prevent your sleep apnea from recurring, getting worse, or causing complications.
• Research for Your Health will discuss how we are using current research and advancing research to prevent sleep apnea.
• Participate in NHLBI Clinical Trials will explain our ongoing clinical trials that are investigating prevention strategies for sleep apnea.