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Tests and diagnosis
By Mayo Clinic staff
Physical exam
Your doctor likely will perform a physical examination and take a medical history. Your partner may need to answer some questions about when and how you snore to help your doctor assess the severity of the problem. Parents are asked about the severity of a child's snoring.
Imaging
Your doctor may request an imaging test, such as an X-ray, a computerized tomography (CT) scan or magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), to check the structure of your airway for problems, such as a deviated septum.
Sleep study
Depending on the severity of your snoring and other symptoms, your doctor may also want to do a sleep study. This may require that you stay overnight at a sleep center to undergo an in-depth analysis of your sleep habits by a team of specialists, called polysomnography.
Using sensors placed on your head and various parts of your body, polysomnography records your brain waves, blood oxygen level, heart rate and breathing rate, as well as eye and leg movements during sleep.
Sometimes, these tests can be done at home, but the in-center sleep tests tend to be more accurate than those done at home.
- Snoring. American Academy of Otolaryngology - Head and Neck Surgery. http://www.entnet.org/HealthInformation/snoring.cfm. Accessed April 10, 2010.
- Troell RJ, et al. Sleep apnea and sleep-disordered breathing. Classification of sleep disorders. In: Cummings CW, et al. Otolaryngology Head and Neck Surgery. 4th ed. Philadelphia, Pa.: Mosby; 2005. http://www.mdconsult.com/das/book/body/194312835-3/0/1263/677.html?tocnode=49544117&fromURL=677.html#4-u1.0-B0-323-01985-4..50078-2_2965. Accessed April 10, 2010.
- Snoring and sleep apnea. American Association of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons. http://www.aaoms.org/sleep_apnea.php. Accessed April 10, 2010.
- Beninati W. Overview of snoring in adults. http://www.uptodate.com/home/index.html. Accessed April 6, 2010.
- Sterni LM, et al. Obstructive sleep apnea in children. In: Cummings CW, et al. Otolaryngology Head and Neck Surgery. 4th ed. Philadelphia, Pa.: Mosby; 2005. http://www.mdconsult.com/das/book/body/194312835-3/0/1263/1656.html?tocnode=49548178&fromURL=1656.html#4-u1.0-B0-323-01985-4..50186-6_7026. Accessed April 10, 2010.
- Basner RC. Continuous positive airway pressure for obstructive sleep apnea. New England Journal of Medicine. 2007;356:1751.
- Oral cavity and pharynx. In: Rakel RE. Textbook of Family Medicine. 7th ed. Philadelphia, Pa.: Saunders Elsevier; 2007. http://www.mdconsult.com/das/book/body/194312835-3/981212438/1481/284.html#4-u1.0-B978-1-4160-2467-5..50027-0--cesec128_1281. Accessed April 10, 2010.
- Beninati W. Treatment of adults with snoring. http://www.uptodate.com/home/index.html. Accessed April 6, 2010.
- Panossian LA, et al. Review of sleep disorders. Medical Clinics of North America. 2009;93:407
- MSM (Methylsulfonylmethane). Natural Medicines Comprehensive Database. http://www.naturaldatabase.com. Accessed April 10, 2010.
- Puhan MA, et al. Didgeridoo playing as alternative treatment for obstructive sleep apnoea syndrome: Randomised controlled trial. British Medical Journal. 2006;332:1.
- Ernst AOE. Can singing exercises reduce snoring? A pilot study. Complementary Therapies in Medicine. 2000;8:151.
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