Merck Manuals Shares Guidance for Patients on Identifying and Treating Sleep Apnea

Sleep expert reveals common questions doctors ask in diagnosing serious sleep condition

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Jul 29, 2020, 10:00 ET

KENILWORTH, N.J., July 29, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Sleep apnea is a condition characterized by abnormal breathing during sleep. Most people who have sleep apnea experience loud snorts, snoring and gasping during sleep. People have long or repetitive pauses in breathing that can make sleep apnea sufferers tired the next day and lead to a host of other health issues. Many people first suspect they have sleep apnea after an exasperated partner, suffering from their own poor sleep, complains about their partner's snoring.

Not everyone who snores has sleep apnea, but if you are experiencing those loud snorts or gasping along with tiredness the following day, it is time to talk with your doctor about sleep apnea.

To increase awareness surrounding the sleep condition, Kingman P. Strohl, MD, author for Merck Manuals and Professor of Medicine at the Case School of Medicine, offered some insights for preparing for a conversation with your doctor. In a new editorial on MerckManuals.com, Dr. Strohl detailed questions your doctor is likely to ask during your appointment.

1. What are your sleep habits?

Understanding sleep apnea starts with understanding sleep. Despite spending about one third of our lives asleep, it's not something most people understand or spend much time thinking about. Be prepared to talk to your doctor about your sleep habits, including how much sleep you get, your bedtime routine, what you do in the hours before you sleep, your caffeine intake, etc. Spend the week or two before your appointment tracking these factors, and use them as a jumping off point for an honest conversation about your sleep habits.

2. Do You have a Family History of Sleep Apnea?

Many of the factors that contribute to sleep apnea tend to run in families, including a narrow throat, thick neck and round head, as well as obesity and the kind of sleeper you are. As a result, people with an immediate family member with sleep apnea are more likely to have it themselves. People who think a family member may have undiagnosed sleep apnea should also bring this up with their doctor. Sleep apnea also becomes more common with age. Prepare for a conversation with your doctor by talking to parents and siblings about if – and when – they were diagnosed with sleep apnea.

3. Do You Fall Asleep During the Day?

Sleep apnea rises to the level of a disorder when being tired impacts your day-to-day life. But there's a difference between feeling fatigued and actually being sleepy. If you feel like you have little energy during the day but don't actually fall asleep, the underlying cause may be something other than sleep apnea, such as anemia, a thyroid condition or chronic fatigue syndrome.

Make sure you're accurately describing your tiredness during the day to your doctor so they can make the correct diagnosis.

4. What Other Conditions Do You Have?

The unrefreshing sleep and periods of not breathing that come with sleep apnea increase the risk of serious health concerns including stroke, heart attack and high blood pressure. Doctors will ask about these conditions, as well as obesity, when discussing sleep apnea. Often, treating sleep apnea can lead to improvement in these conditions and other aspects of your health like alertness and sense of wellbeing.

Key Considerations for Treatment

Addressing sleep apnea starts with recognizing just how effective that treatment can be. A good night's sleep, night after night, can improve your relationships, your daily energy levels and your overall outlook on life. It's a significant step in reducing the risk or severity of a number of serious chronic conditions.

You can read more about sleep apnea in Dr. Strohl's editorial on MerckManuals.com.

About The Merck Manuals and MSD Manuals

First published in 1899 as a small reference book for physicians and pharmacists, The Merck Manual grew in size and scope to become one of the world's most widely used comprehensive medical resources for professionals and consumers. As The Manual evolved, it continually expanded the reach and depth of its offerings to reflect the mission of providing the best medical information to a wide cross-section of users, including medical professionals and students, veterinarians and veterinary students, and consumers. In 2015, The Manuals kicked off Global Medical Knowledge 2020, a program to make the best current medical information accessible by up to three billion professionals and patients around the world by 2020. For access to thousands of medical topics with images, videos and a constantly expanding set of resources, visit MerckManuals.com or MSDManuals.com and connect with us on social media:

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For more than 125 years, Merck, known as MSD outside of the United States and Canada, has been inventing for life, bringing forward medicines and vaccines for many of the world's most challenging diseases in pursuit of our mission to save and improve lives. We demonstrate our commitment to patients and population health by increasing access to health care through far-reaching policies, programs and partnerships. Today, Merck continues to be at the forefront of research to prevent and treat diseases that threaten people and animals – including cancer, infectious diseases such as HIV and Ebola, and emerging animal diseases – as we aspire to be the premier research-intensive biopharmaceutical company in the world. For more information, visit www.merck.com and connect with us on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, YouTube and LinkedIn.

SOURCE The Merck Manuals