Frequently Asked Questions

• OSA can occur in men, women and children of all ages and sizes. Most people who have OSA do not realize they suffer from the condition. Often, it is the bed partner who notices the first signs of OSA.
• If you or someone you know snores regularly and has one or more of the following symptoms, it may be OSA.

• excessive daytime sleepiness
• loud or disruptive snoring
• gasping or choking during sleep
• high blood pressure

• grogginess and morning headaches
• frequent urination at night
• depression and irritability

• are obese
• have a large neck or crowding of the upper airway

• Many insurance carriers provide coverage for the home test because of the cost savings over the in-lab test. Traditional in-lab studies are between $2,000 and $5,000 per night, the cost of a HST is $350 per night..

• The device will be shipped to your home with step by step instructions and an instructional DVD. You will wear the device for 3 nights and then ship it back to Millennium Lab via prepaid shipping box.

• Upon receiving the Alice PDx unit, Millennium Lab will download the data and provide it to our board certified sleep physician for interpretation. Once the sleep physician has completed his interpretation, we will fax the results to your ordering physician. This process typically takes two to five days to complete.

• Your results will be sent to your ordering physician and they will follow up with recommended therapy. Positive airway pressure (PAP) is the most commonly used therapy. Other alternatives include surgery, body position modification or oral appliances.

People who do not seek diagnosis and treatment for OSA may increase their risk for:

• high blood pressure
• irregular heart rhythms or heart disease
• heart attack
• stroke
• driving or work-related accidents

• The brain will automatically arouse you enough to start breathing again when your breathing stops because of OSA. These constant arousals result in fragmented sleep that robs your body of the rest it needs to function properly during the day. OSA is classified as mild, moderate or severe depending on the number of stops (apnea) or slow breathing (hypopnea) per hour.

• Snoring and OSA are similar respiratory sleep disorders. The noise produced when snoring occurs when the air you breathe vibrates the tissues of the airway because of a blockage or narrowing of the nose, mouth or throat. It can be an indicator of the more serious Obstructive Sleep Apnea. It occurs when your breathing regularly stops or is slowed for 10 seconds or longer because of the blocked or narrowed airways. Airway blockage may be caused by excess tissue in the throat or nasal passages, large tonsils, enlarged tongue and sometimes the jaw structure itself.

• Excessive daytime sleepiness
• Waking up feeling exhausted after a normal night’s sleep
• Headaches
• Depression
Symptoms your bed partner is aware of:
• Frequent episodes of obstructed breathing during sleep
• Snoring, gasps, choking or gurgling sounds
• Bruxism (teeth grinding)

• Increased risk of hypertension or cardiovascular disease
• Sexual dysfunction
• Compromised immune system
• Irritability