Sleep Apnea Can Pose Serious Health Risks for Seniors

As we age, ensuring a good night’s sleep becomes increasingly vital for overall health and well-being. Unfortunately, for many seniors, sleep apnea presents a significant and often overlooked challenge. This common sleep disorder, characterized by pauses in breathing during sleep, can lead to a host of serious health risks if left untreated. 

Our Wake Forest, NC sleep specialist, Dr. Craig Winkelmann is dedicated to helping patients understand the potential consequences of sleep apnea in seniors, shedding light on why early detection and management are crucial for maintaining optimal health in later years.

Symptoms of Sleep Apnea in Older Adults

Common symptoms of sleep apnea in older adults include:

• Snoring
• Labored breathing 
• Excessive daytime sleepiness

Overlapping Symptoms with Other Conditions

A significant challenge in diagnosing sleep apnea based on symptoms alone is the overlap with other medical conditions, such as:

• Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD)
• Depression
• Metabolic Syndrome
• Heart disease
• Diabetes

Consequently, proper sleep apnea diagnosis requires thorough testing to distinguish it from other conditions that exhibit similar symptoms.

This overlap underscores the need for professional advice when symptoms of sleep apnea surface. Your Wake Forest sleep specialist can diagnose sleep apnea accurately and suggest the best treatment plan, addressing the root cause and not missing out on other health issues.

Diagnosing Sleep Apnea in Older Adults

In-Lab Sleep Study

An in-lab sleep study is a comprehensive assessment of sleep apnea conducted in a sleep laboratory. The process generally entails the patient arriving at the sleep laboratory in the evening and having various monitoring devices connected to them. The patient is monitored overnight while they sleep, and in the morning, the patient is disconnected from the monitoring devices and the data is evaluated.

The primary advantage of an in-lab sleep study is its provision of a detailed evaluation of sleep apnea, rendering it more accurate than an at-home sleep study. However, it is less accessible for older adults, as they must travel to the sleep laboratory and remain there for the duration of the night.

At-Home Sleep Study

An at-home sleep study, also referred to as a home sleep apnea test (HSAT), is an overnight test administered outside of a hospital or sleep lab. It involves wearing a portable breathing monitor to assist in the diagnosis of obstructive sleep apnea in the home setting.

Although at-home sleep studies provide a more accessible alternative for seniors, they might not offer as comprehensive information as in-lab studies. Nevertheless, they can still be a valuable diagnostic tool for sleep apnea when an in-lab sleep study is not feasible or practical for the patient.

Frequently Asked Questions