What diagnostic method is utilized to confirm sleep apnea?

Polysomnography is the diagnostic method primarily used to confirm sleep apnea because it involves a comprehensive recording of the physiological signals that occur during sleep. This test monitors brain waves, blood oxygen levels, heart rate, breathing, and eye and leg movements, providing a detailed picture of sleep stages and disruptions.

When a patient undergoes polysomnography, multiple sensors are placed on the body to collect data throughout the night. The results allow healthcare providers to identify the presence of apneas (pauses in breathing), hypopneas (shallow breathing), and other sleep-related disturbances. This information is crucial for diagnosing sleep apnea and determining its severity, which informs treatment options.

Other options such as a chest X-ray, CT scan, or EEG do not provide the comprehensive analysis needed to diagnose sleep apnea. A chest X-ray may reveal structural issues related to the lungs or heart but won’t directly indicate sleep apnea. A CT scan might provide images of the airway but does not show real-time changes in breathing during sleep. An EEG focuses on electrical activity in the brain and does not measure respiratory function or sleep stages as directly as polysomnography does. Therefore, polysomnography remains the gold standard for diagnosing sleep apnea due to its ability to capture the intricate details