Getting Started with PAP Therapy

Suspicions for Sleep Apnea and Getting Diagnosed

CPAP and BIPAP are designed to treat sleep apnea by providing

calibrated pressure support to keep your airway open during the

night, improving your quality of sleep, wakefulness, and heart

health. Getting started with PAP therapy starts with talking to your

doctor about the suspicion for sleep apnea. Common symptoms

and comorbidities related to sleep apnea include the following:

• Excessive daytime sleepiness/lack of energy during the day

• Snoring

• Poor quality of sleep/wakefulness/insomnia

• Witnessed gasping/choking during sleep

• Morning headaches

• Mood disorders/irritability

• High blood pressure/heart problems/atrial fibrillation

• Type 2 diabetes

The Epworth Sleepiness Scale and STOP-Bang Questionnaire can

be taken to assess your risk level of sleep apnea as well.

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If your physician suspects you may be at risk of having sleep apnea,

they will order a diagnostic sleep test that may be administered at

your home or in a facility. This test will monitor your sleep and note

any apneas or hypopneas you have during the night - episodes in

which you stop breathing or have very shallow breathing. Based on

your AHI - the number of times you experience these episodes per

hour on average during the night, your physician will render a

diagnosis. The following AHI ranges are used to determine whether

you have sleep apnea and the level of severity.

• Normal: 0-5 episodes per hour

• Mild Sleep Apnea: 5-15 episodes per hour

• Moderate Sleep Apnea: 15-30 episodes per hour

• Severe Sleep Apnea: 30+ episodes per hour

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Sending the Required Medical Records to Sleep Source

If a sleep apnea diagnosis is rendered from the results of your sleep test(s), your physician will order an appropriate PAP device for you. To get started with Sleep Source, simply ask your physician to send your medical records to Sleep Source, or contact Sleep Source to obtain or provide your medical records. The following medical records are necessary for Sleep Source to provide you with PAP equipment:

• A prescription indicating the settings/pressure of your PAP device (required by federal law - even for cash pay transactions)

• Documentation of your sleep test(s) that support your sleep apnea diagnosis

• Chart notes from your physician visit in which you discussed the suspicion of having sleep apnea

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These medical records can be sent to support@sleepsourcedme.com or faxed to 888-307-2154.