Diagnosing Sleep Apnea - Berlin Questionnaire

I've posted about this before but given the very short useful life of most threads on the forum, here goes again.

The most recent estimates show that a full one-third of all adults in the United State are at high risk for sleep apnea. That would put the total figure about 50 to 60 million, including one in five of every female over the age of 18. The risks go up significantly with age.

Most doctors are still rather uninformed about OSA and often patients feel the need to take the issue into their own hands if they feel like they might have OSA.

There's a very simple way to take a first step. Fill out and score the Berlin Questionnaire. It consists of 10 simple questions--piece of cake and you can score it easily yourself.

Here's a link with the form: http://www.pur-sleep.com/content/?id=30

Several studies have shown that it is highly predictive of sleep apnea as demonstrated by subsequent sleep studies (something like 89% of people scoring at high risk are confirmed to have sleep apnea).

If you or your family member or friend scores at the high risk level, take it to the doctor and demand a sleep study or at least an overnight oxymeter test!

But remember, a low score on the test doesn't necessarily mean that you don't have OSA. Plenty of non-snoring people have it. Ultimately, short of a sleep study, an overnight oxymeter is the best way to screen for OSA.

Wouldn't it be great if every doc gave his patients this questionnaire during their routine physicals! Just imagine how many people would discover that they have OSA and would get CPAP therapy. Maybe one day!

Here's a link to a two online tests:

Epworth Sleepiness Scale

Berlin Questionnaire

and some general health questions


http://www.sleep-tests.co.uk/index.php

I just put in one letter for "name" and a false email address.

That's enough to let you take the tests -- the results will be shown at the bottom of each test.

I agree with SleepGuy and Rip that every family doctor should be giving either (or both) the Berlin Questionnaire and the Epworth Sleepiness Scale to EVERY patient they have in their practice. Every one of them.

Too many doctors still don't think of OSA, much less of screening for OSA. Either/both of those written tests to be filled out in the waiting room would be an easy first step for all doctors to take.

Thanks, SleepGuy, for bringing up the subject of sleep apnea screening questionnaires. It can never be mentioned often enough!

Here's my favorite online checklist for sleep apnea, since it has so many symptoms.

http://www.healthyresources.com/sleep/a ... /quiz.html

I know someone who scored OK on the quizzes, probably because his SA hasn't gotten very bad yet. But he shows poor O2 levels on a borrowed overnight recording pulse oximeter. So using a variety of tools helps, including using a borrowed APAP machine with software, if you have access to one, before visiting the doctor for a sleep test (in lab or now at home) for diagnosis.

thanks all ! i booked marked for future references . ...i went today for an eye exam and brought up to the lic. optometrist and his long in the tooth sec. about my being on cpap.. their reply was--da huh- blank look / (lightbulb goes off) from sec.---oh yea thats where you have o2 w/ a mask ...i'm like whats the use..... and then i feel it's my duty to sorta enlighten the lab coat folks....after all we are the disciples for our cause

Amazing that so many in the medical profession know SO little about OSA! Hoping that will change with time. Thank goodness for this forum!!