Sleep Apnea Test
Topic 3291 | Page 7
Correct, most doctors already have information on home sleep testing so they typically "stay in the rut". Physicians will use the same company they have always used to perform test. Bottom line, the doctor will not shop around for you. However, for the most part, physicians want to work with and satisfy their patients. So if YOU, the customer gives the physician some information on where you want to have the test performed, they will have no issues with that. Actually, that's a Federal Law if I'm not mistaken, you have the right to receive testing and treatment wherever you chose.My concern is that a doctor isn't going to say "You need to be tested so go get tested wherever you like and let us know how it goes". The trucking companies normally have their own doctors they use for their physicals and those doctors would normally have their own clinics or technicians they are using for sleep apnea testing. I don't think a driver is really going to have a choice when it comes to the type of testing they get done and where it gets done.
Any thoughts on that?
That's why I make it easy for the patient and the physician, everybody hates paperwork, so I did the paperwork for them. On my website there is a referral form anyone can download and print. The patient can take one with them to the doctor and say "this is where I want to get my home sleep test from". All the doctor has to do is sign it. If the doctor is nice they will fill in some of the other blanks also. Then the patient or the doctor can fax or email it back to us. That's it, we take it from there.
Sleep Apnea:
A physical disorder in which you have pauses in your breathing, or take shallow breaths, during sleep. These pauses can last anywhere from a few seconds to a few minutes. Normal breathing will usually resume, sometimes with a loud choking sound or snort.
In obstructive sleep apnea, your airways become blocked or collapse during sleep, causing the pauses and shallow breathing.
It is a chronic condition that will require ongoing management. It affects about 18 million people in the U.S.
HOS:
Hours Of Service
HOS refers to the logbook hours of service regulations.
^^^^
And in this vein, a lot of people consider the whole "sleep apnea" thing to be a scam/profit center.
CPAP machines with data card monitoring, go for like $350 and up.
And bunches of folks with "borderline BMI" numbers, feel like they're being taken advantage of, by being forced into a sleep study, and potentially being permanently labeled in the industry as an OSA sufferer.
One of the earlier posters, being 5'8"/285lbs - is probably a good candidate for having OSA.
When I was 5'5"/300 lbs - I slept horribly. At 200 lbs, I sleep like a baby, but my BMI is 33.2 (depending on whose calculator you use).
Not sure what the "current number" for BMI triggers a sleep study at Prime (or others) currently.
The flipside is - if you have the risk factors and actually HAVE OSA - we've heard from folks here that getting on a CPAP machine and getting RESTFUL SLEEP has changed their lives.
Rick
Hey Rick, a don't think "a lot" of people consider sleep apnea to be a scam, but you always have some doubters. There will always be a difference of opinion. I think lawyers are a rip off, but I'm not a lawyer. You have good cops and bad cops, honest homeless people and crooked rice people.
The only thing I can say is I've been doing sleep for 14 years and sleep apnea is a very real and significant disorder which should not be ignored.
$350 for a cpap machine is to low. We sell ours for $600 and thats a low ball price for a name brand product. If someone offers you a cpap machine for $350 you need to walk away, you are about to be ripped off.
The BMI thing is for guidance and probability. The higher the BMI the higher the probability of testing positive for sleep apnea. Unfortunately we cannot look at weight and say "yep, you got sleep apnea because your overweight". If we could do that we wouldn't need test. In the sleep lab I have seen numerous overweight people test negative for sleep apnea, and just as many skinny, underweight people have tested positive for severe sleep apnea. You see, obstructive sleep apnea occurs from the neck up, so if you have a skinny neck to go with the beer belly, you may be fine. But if you have a deviated septum, enlarged tonsils, large tongue, large teeth, abnormal bone structure... it don't matter how skinny your are, you probably can't breath to good.
Not only do I test people I also use cpap, yes it does work.
Sleep Apnea:
A physical disorder in which you have pauses in your breathing, or take shallow breaths, during sleep. These pauses can last anywhere from a few seconds to a few minutes. Normal breathing will usually resume, sometimes with a loud choking sound or snort.
In obstructive sleep apnea, your airways become blocked or collapse during sleep, causing the pauses and shallow breathing.
It is a chronic condition that will require ongoing management. It affects about 18 million people in the U.S.
BMI:
Body mass index (BMI)
BMI is a formula that uses weight and height to estimate body fat. For most people, BMI provides a reasonable estimate of body fat. The BMI's biggest weakness is that it doesn't consider individual factors such as bone or muscle mass. BMI may:
- Underestimate body fat for older adults or other people with low muscle mass
- Overestimate body fat for people who are very muscular and physically fit
It's quite common, especially for men, to fall into the "overweight" category if you happen to be stronger than average. If you're pretty strong but in good shape then pay no attention.
CPAP:
Constant Positive Airway Pressure
CPAP is a breathing assist device which is worn over the mouth or nose. It provides nighttime relief for individuals who suffer from Sleep Apnea.
HOS:
Hours Of Service
HOS refers to the logbook hours of service regulations.
I too have a cpap machine. As part of my physical I logged into my machine that has a two week record. I only got a one year dot card. Explanation on long form was hnt. But my bp was good and I take 5mg for control. See my physician every six months. My last visit was in November and was scheduled for next month. Since I'm planning to be in school, I've rescheduled for this month. Don't know why only one year!
DOT:
Department Of Transportation
A department of the federal executive branch responsible for the national highways and for railroad and airline safety. It also manages Amtrak, the national railroad system, and the Coast Guard.
State and Federal DOT Officers are responsible for commercial vehicle enforcement. "The truck police" you could call them.
CPAP:
Constant Positive Airway Pressure
CPAP is a breathing assist device which is worn over the mouth or nose. It provides nighttime relief for individuals who suffer from Sleep Apnea.
Wasn't trying to intimate that OSA is a scam - just that lots of folks consider being pushed into the expense of a sleep study and CPAP by a trucking company that makes mandatory use of the study center THEY USE - and will let you pay off the study and cpap "over time" with payroll deductions - has folks saying "hmmmmm", when they may or may not actually be a candidate for OSA by BMI/Neck Circumference risk factors ALONE.
Which is why FMCSA has gotten a hard time by congress implementing this as a RULE - even though the advisory committee results came out a LONG TIME AGO. Probably why the 2016 DOT Med long form had something on it about BMI - and that has been TAKEN OFF in the current revision.
This can has been kicked up and down the road for quite awhile in the industry.
There is NO DOUBT that OSA is a REAL CONDITION.
That people that suffer from it DO NOT GET RESTFUL SLEEP and drivers can be fatigued while driving, which increases the risk of accidents.
The trucking companies we frequently see here - will send a driver to THEIR SLEEP STUDY CENTER, and sell them THEIR MACHINE. Most new entrants into the industry, don't have the funds or insurance to get their own study/CPAP - and are COMPELLED to use the companies - OR GO HOME.
Rick
CSA:
Compliance, Safety, Accountability (CSA)
The CSA is a Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) initiative to improve large truck and bus safety and ultimately reduce crashes, injuries, and fatalities that are related to commercial motor vehicle
FMCSA:
Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration
The FMCSA was established within the Department of Transportation on January 1, 2000. Their primary mission is to prevent commercial motor vehicle-related fatalities and injuries.
What Does The FMCSA Do?
- Commercial Drivers' Licenses
- Data and Analysis
- Regulatory Compliance and Enforcement
- Research and Technology
- Safety Assistance
- Support and Information Sharing
DOT:
Department Of Transportation
A department of the federal executive branch responsible for the national highways and for railroad and airline safety. It also manages Amtrak, the national railroad system, and the Coast Guard.
State and Federal DOT Officers are responsible for commercial vehicle enforcement. "The truck police" you could call them.
BMI:
Body mass index (BMI)
BMI is a formula that uses weight and height to estimate body fat. For most people, BMI provides a reasonable estimate of body fat. The BMI's biggest weakness is that it doesn't consider individual factors such as bone or muscle mass. BMI may:
- Underestimate body fat for older adults or other people with low muscle mass
- Overestimate body fat for people who are very muscular and physically fit
It's quite common, especially for men, to fall into the "overweight" category if you happen to be stronger than average. If you're pretty strong but in good shape then pay no attention.
CPAP:
Constant Positive Airway Pressure
CPAP is a breathing assist device which is worn over the mouth or nose. It provides nighttime relief for individuals who suffer from Sleep Apnea.
Fm:
Dispatcher, Fleet Manager, Driver Manager
The primary person a driver communicates with at his/her company. A dispatcher can play many roles, depending on the company's structure. Dispatchers may assign freight, file requests for home time, relay messages between the driver and management, inform customer service of any delays, change appointment times, and report information to the load planners.
Hey Bucket, everyone who is taking medication for blood pressure control gets a one year card. That is why you got the one year card.
Hey Rick, that's a little more specific. It sounds like you have some first hand experience on something ... things that make you go hummm....
Honestly, I hear that some, but not everyday. I would say that most of the truckers I run test for are upset. They aren't upset with me and they know sleep apnea is nothing to ignore. They are just upset at one more thing they are being told to do. They are upset at new rules, taxes, people wanting money here, there, everywhere, it's always something. I understand they are ****ed and frustrated, I understood that when I came on this forum.
That's why I'm here, I said I can help and I will. Nobody wants to lose their job and nobody wants you to lose your job. Well, not on my side anyway, we just do the test.
We have the lowest prices, period. If a company is telling you testing is required and you have to pay for it, give me a call, we will do our best to help you. Heck, give me some information and I will be glad to speak with any physician or company representative associated with this type of testing.
www.rpmhst.com
Sleep Apnea:
A physical disorder in which you have pauses in your breathing, or take shallow breaths, during sleep. These pauses can last anywhere from a few seconds to a few minutes. Normal breathing will usually resume, sometimes with a loud choking sound or snort.
In obstructive sleep apnea, your airways become blocked or collapse during sleep, causing the pauses and shallow breathing.
It is a chronic condition that will require ongoing management. It affects about 18 million people in the U.S.
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^^^^
And in this vein, a lot of people consider the whole "sleep apnea" thing to be a scam/profit center.
CPAP machines with data card monitoring, go for like $350 and up.
And bunches of folks with "borderline BMI" numbers, feel like they're being taken advantage of, by being forced into a sleep study, and potentially being permanently labeled in the industry as an OSA sufferer.
One of the earlier posters, being 5'8"/285lbs - is probably a good candidate for having OSA.
When I was 5'5"/300 lbs - I slept horribly. At 200 lbs, I sleep like a baby, but my BMI is 33.2 (depending on whose calculator you use).
Not sure what the "current number" for BMI triggers a sleep study at Prime (or others) currently.
The flipside is - if you have the risk factors and actually HAVE OSA - we've heard from folks here that getting on a CPAP machine and getting RESTFUL SLEEP has changed their lives.
Rick
Sleep Apnea:
A physical disorder in which you have pauses in your breathing, or take shallow breaths, during sleep. These pauses can last anywhere from a few seconds to a few minutes. Normal breathing will usually resume, sometimes with a loud choking sound or snort.
In obstructive sleep apnea, your airways become blocked or collapse during sleep, causing the pauses and shallow breathing.
It is a chronic condition that will require ongoing management. It affects about 18 million people in the U.S.
BMI:
Body mass index (BMI)
BMI is a formula that uses weight and height to estimate body fat. For most people, BMI provides a reasonable estimate of body fat. The BMI's biggest weakness is that it doesn't consider individual factors such as bone or muscle mass. BMI may:
It's quite common, especially for men, to fall into the "overweight" category if you happen to be stronger than average. If you're pretty strong but in good shape then pay no attention.
CPAP:
Constant Positive Airway Pressure
CPAP is a breathing assist device which is worn over the mouth or nose. It provides nighttime relief for individuals who suffer from Sleep Apnea.
HOS:
Hours Of Service
HOS refers to the logbook hours of service regulations.