But now there’s a way to get an accurate diagnosis from the comfort of your own bed.

 

Experts say new home tests are just as good as in-lab studies at detecting moderate-to-severe obstructive sleep apnea (OSA), a serious condition that affects an estimated 18 million Americans, most of whom don’t know they have it.

 

OSA’s hallmark symptom is interrupted breathing during sleep: 15-30 interruptions per hour in moderate OSA and more than 30 interruptions per hour in severe OSA. Because these interruptions deprive the heart and brain of oxygen, untreated OSA dramatically increases the risk of heart attacks and strokes.

 

Compared to in-lab studies, home studies are not only convenient, they’re inexpensive.

 

Depending on the device and the doctor’s instructions, a home study costs $200 to $600, while an in-lab study costs $800 to $3,000. That can save both patients and insurers some serious money.

 

For example, if you have a co-pay of 20 percent, your out-of-pocket expenses may be as little as $40 for a home study compared to up to $260 for an in-lab study. The at-home tests promise to be a game-changer for people who suspect they may suffer from sleep apnea, but who were unwilling to deal with the hassle of a night in the hospital.

 

Newsmax Health interviewed Rochelle Goldberg, M.D., director of sleep medicine services at the Lankenau Medical Center in suburban Philadelphia, to get more information about new home screenings for apnea:

 

A: In-lab sleep testing has been the standard for several decades and is a relatively expensive technology. Recent improvements in home-testing devices have made it an acceptable, less-expensive, yet reliable diagnostic tool in the right patient population.

A: Home testing has been validated against in-lab studies in select patient groups. The ideal candidate is a patient who, clinically, has obvious sleep apnea. Home testing is then used to verify the apnea and gauge its severity.

 

A: Patients with sleep complaints, but not obvious apnea, those with other sleep disorders suggested by history — restless legs, limb movements, sleep behaviors, narcolepsy — are not appropriate because home testing does not evaluate for these conditions. People with other medical problems — especially unstable lung or heart disease and chronic pain, or physical or cognitive challenges — also are not appropriate for home testing.

A: During a lab test, you’re hooked up to as many as 20 different sensors. Although home devices vary, you usually hook yourself up to only four different sensors. These include a belt on the chest to measure breathing effort, a small sensor at the nose and mouth to measure airflow, an oxygen monitor on the finger, and a heart-beat sensor on the chest.

A: Recent validation testing has found that home studies are quite comparable to in-lab testing.

A: False negative results are a risk. Home testing also may underestimate the severity of sleep apnea, particularly at the milder end of the range. If the patient has other underlying sleep disorders, the study will not identify these. If parts of the device are removed during the night, there may be insufficient information. If a home test is negative, an in-lab study may be necessary.