So you've done your research and discovered that you may have the symptoms of obstructive sleep apnea (OSA). You've even come to the conclusion that your snoring, nocturnal breathing cessations, daytime drowsiness, and restless sleep may be causes for concern, but you're still not quite sure if it's worthy of a visit to the doctor's office.

AtThe Alaska Sleep Clinic, we want to help you on your road to healthier sleeping habits. That's why we've created a guideline to help you through the steps from when to contact a doctor to methods of diagnosing OSA, and treatment options. 

Does this scenario sound familiar?  You have a snoring problem.  You come into a sleep lab to have a sleep study conducted and find out you have been diagnosed with sleep apnea.

The next thought is “ok, so how do I treat my sleep apnea?”

Travel can tempt you to not be compliant with your CPAP therapy. The overwhelming idea of packing and bringing your equipment with you can make you want to skip your CPAP while you are away.

Foregoing your CPAP therapy can be dangerous. Sleep apnea will occur whether you are on your dream vacation or at home. Without your CPAP machine, you run the risk of experiencing all the unwanted and sometimes even dangerous effects of untreated sleep apnea.

The good news is that traveling with your CPAP machine doesn’t have to be burden. There are several options, including travel-sized CPAP machines that can make it easier for you to travel.

Is your partner's loud snoring keeping you awake at night? Do their frequent pauses in breathing and gasping for air when they start again making you afraid for their health? If so, it may be time to talk to your bed-partner about getting treatment for their snoring.

Approximately 20 million American adults suffer from sleep apnea, so it may not be much of a stretch to believe that your loved one may be one of them.

"There are naive questions, tedious questions, ill-phrased questions, questions put after inadequate self-criticism. But every question is a cry to understand the world. There is no such thing as a dumb question." – Carl Sagan.

When it comes to proper treatment for any health condition, patient education is often the most crucial aspect in compliance with therapy. Patients that are uninformed about their disorder and treatment options are among the first to quickly abandon therapy. It's sad to see patients go through the process of exploring their symptoms, seeking diagnosis, and getting set-up with treatment, only to discontinue treatment after a short time. And one of the biggest factors for patients quitting treatment is a lack of quality education from medical professionals about the necessity of continued therapy.