Sleep Apnea: When To Call A Doctor

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When To Call a Doctor

Call your doctor if:

• You or your bed partner snores loudly and heavily and feels sleepy during the day.
• You notice that your bed partner stops breathing, gasps, or chokes during sleep.
• You sometimes fall asleep at inappropriate times, such as while you are talking or eating.
• Your child snores, has difficulty breathing while sleeping, sleeps restlessly, wakes up often, and is very sleepy during the day.

Watchful Waiting

Watchful waiting is a wait-and-see approach. If you get better on your own, you will not need treatment. If you get worse, you and your doctor will decide what to do next. Watchful waiting may be right for you if you snore but are not excessively sleepy during the day.

Watchful waiting may not be right if you notice that your sleeping partner snores loudly and heavily, is restless during sleep, and is sleepy during the day. If you think your sleeping partner may have periods when breathing stops, suggest that he or she talk with a doctor.

Who To See

Health professionals who can check people who have symptoms of obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) include:

• Family medicine physicians.
• Internists.
• Pediatricians.
• Nurse practitioners.
• Physician assistants.

If your doctor thinks that you may have sleep apnea, he or she may have you see a specialist who treats sleep disorders (often a neurologist or pulmonologist). The specialist can help arrange and interpret a sleep study and prescribe treatment for the disease, such as continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP).

Other health professionals may be able to help you if you have other problems that are caused by sleep apnea. If you:

• Have heart problems, you may see a cardiologist.
• Need surgery to remove excess tissue or to correct a defect or injury, you may see an ear, nose, and throat doctor (otolaryngologist).
• Need oral breathing devices, you may see a dentist.

To prepare for your appointment, see the topic Making the Most of Your Appointment.

Last updated:	July 13, 2007
Author:	Maria G. Essig, MS, ELS
Reviewed By:	Caroline S. Rhoads, MD - Internal Medicine, Jan Ulfberg, MD, PhD - Sleep Disorders
Editors:	Susan Van Houten, RN, BSN, MBA, Pat Truman, MATC