Have you been wondering “Are there sleep apnea doctors near me?” If so, then you’re in luck because we’re going to let you know the answer to that question. If you are suffering from sleep apnea, or believe you are, you probably want to find a sleep apnea specialist as soon as possible. The good news is that there are plenty of sleep specialists/sleep centers you can choose from these days. Some sleep centers are accredited by the American Academy of Sleep Medicine (AASM) and may provide you with even more helpful information regarding obstructive sleep apnea (OSA). We will tell you everything you need to know when it comes to finding a sleep medicine specialist near you.
How Sleep Apnea Is Diagnosed
As part of knowing how to find a sleep apnea doctor, you should also understand how sleep apnea is diagnosed in the first place. This condition occurs when you sleep. This means doctors need to have an effective way of diagnosing the condition given its occurrence outside of their office. A sleep study is done to monitor your sleep activity. The sleep study will measure the following:
- Respiration
- Heart Rate
- Breathing
- Blood/Oxygen Level
Essentially, a sleep doctor needs to know what is happening when you are sleeping. Most sleep studies will occur in your own home. Only more advanced studies occur in sleep labs, and they do so rarely. After your sleep study results are analyzed by the sleep specialist, they will provide you with an accurate diagnosis. This will determine what the next steps should be. If you are diagnosed with any kind of sleep apnea, obstructive or central, you will most often be prescribed one of the following treatment options:
- CPAP (continuous positive airway pressure) Machine
- APAP (automatic positive airway pressure) Machine
- BiPAP (bilevel positive airway pressure) Machine
Finding a CPAP Doctors
The easiest way to start searching for sleep apnea doctors is to speak with your primary care doctor. After all, they are knowledgeable about your medical history, as well as what symptoms you have. They will be able to point you in the direction of a doctor who can help you with sleep apnea.
There are a few different types of specialists who can help you treat your sleep apnea. These include:
- Primary Care Physician
- Sleep Specialist
- Otolaryngologist (Ear, Nose, and Throat Doctor)
- Pulmonologist
- Neurologist
- Dentist
Your primary care physician is most likely to send you a referral to a sleep specialist. This is a CPAP doctor who specializes in treating medical conditions like cases of sleep apnea. They have undergone additional education focused on sleep science. Also, they have become certified and qualified to perform diagnoses for various sleep disorders. Sleep specialists most often do not start out as such but become certified to diagnose sleep disorders later on in their careers.
The most common CPAP doctors fall into three categories:
- General Practitioner
- Pulmonologist
- Somnologist
General Practitioner
A General Practitioner is an internal medicine physician who has had extensive training that allows them to treat and manage many types of issues a patient may have. They can accurately diagnose whether you have sleep apnea in the first place by identifying potential symptoms of sleep apnea. He may also recommend some lifestyle changes as well to improve your condition.
Pulmonologist
A pulmonologist specializes in everything involving the respiratory system. This even includes obstructive sleep apnea. In fact, pulmonologists are certified to conduct obstructive sleep apnea diagnostic tests to confirm whether you suffer from this condition. This type of doctor will provide you with a home sleep test that will confirm whether you have sleep apnea. Additionally, they can provide you with a sleep coach who can help you become accustomed to your treatment.
Somnologist
Also called a sleep doctor, a somnologist is a doctor for sleep apnea that specializes in anything sleep-related. Any type of sleep disorder is in their wheelhouse. Somnologists can help treat many sleep disorders, such as narcolepsy and insomnia, as well as sleep apnea. Since this is one of the most common sleep-related issues people face, somnologists are very familiar with what needs to be done as far as treatment goes.
Where to Find CPAP Doctors
When it comes to finding sleep apnea doctors in-network, you have a few options. You will want to first check whether a sleep doctor is in-network since that means your insurance company will be able to cover most of the costs.
You can use two very helpful directors to find in-network CPAP doctors, which are:
These are free resources you can use to find sleep apnea doctors near me. Your other alternative would be to go into your insurance company’s website and look up in-network sleep doctors that could potentially help you with treating your sleep apnea.
Wrapping Up
Getting diagnosed with sleep apnea is something you will want to confirm with an experienced sleep doctor, to avoid losing any more sleep at night. The first step for you will be to have a conversation either with your primary care physician or one of the types of doctors experienced with diagnosing sleep apnea mentioned earlier. CPAP doctors will get you the right CPAP machine to use in order for you to start a new chapter in your life where you are getting a good night’s rest, every night.
