VitalAir Compass
Tests & Treatments
How sleep and lung conditions are tested, and the treatment options used once a diagnosis is made.
Testing & Diagnosis
Sleep Testing
- TestHome Sleep Apnea TestA physician-ordered, unattended overnight test that measures breathing, oxygen levels, and heart rate in your own bed to help diagnose obstructive sleep apnea.
- TestIn-Lab Sleep Study (Polysomnography)A comprehensive, technician-supervised overnight study that records brain activity, eye movements, muscle tone, breathing, oxygen levels, and heart rhythm to diagnose sleep apnea, narcolepsy, parasomnias, and other sleep disorders.
- TestMultiple Sleep Latency Test (MSLT)A daytime nap-based sleep study, performed the day after an overnight sleep study, that measures how quickly you fall asleep and whether REM sleep appears unusually early: used mainly to help evaluate suspected narcolepsy and idiopathic hypersomnia.
- comparisonHome Sleep Test vs. In-Lab Sleep StudyA head-to-head comparison of home sleep apnea testing (HSAT) and in-lab polysomnography (PSG): what each measures, who's a better fit for which, and how a physician helps decide.
- Compass GuideHow Sleep Apnea Is DiagnosedHow a sleep apnea diagnosis is actually made: clinical history and exam, the role (and limits) of screening questionnaires, and how home sleep apnea testing and in-lab polysomnography confirm a diagnosis.
- Compass GuideAHI and Sleep Apnea SeverityAn explanation of what the apnea-hypopnea index actually measures, the traditional mild/moderate/severe severity categories, and why oxygen levels, event patterns, symptoms, and cardiovascular risk all factor into how physicians interpret severity.
- Compass GuideUnderstanding Your Sleep Study ReportA plain-language walkthrough of the terms and numbers that appear on a home sleep apnea test or in-lab polysomnogram report, and why every result is interpreted by a physician alongside your symptoms and history.
Pulmonary Testing
- TestPulmonary Function TestingA group of breathing tests used to measure how well the lungs are working.
- TestSpirometrySpirometry is a common breathing test that measures how much air you can forcefully exhale and how quickly you can exhale it, helping evaluate lung health.
- TestFeNO TestingFeNO testing is a simple breath test that measures nitric oxide in exhaled air as a marker of airway inflammation, most often used alongside other information when evaluating possible asthma.
- Test6-Minute Walk TestThe 6-minute walk test measures how far a person can walk in six minutes on a flat surface, a simple, practical way to assess functional exercise capacity and detect exertional oxygen desaturation.
- TestDLCO (Diffusing Capacity) TestingA breathing test that measures how well oxygen moves from the lungs' air sacs into the bloodstream.
- TestChest CT and Lung ImagingHow diagnostic chest CT, high-resolution CT (HRCT), and low-dose CT (LDCT) lung cancer screening differ, what to expect during a scan, and how results are typically reported and followed up.
- TestRight Heart CatheterizationA minimally invasive procedure that directly measures pressures and blood flow inside the right side of the heart and lungs, considered the definitive test for confirming pulmonary hypertension.
- TestBronchoscopyA procedure using a thin, flexible scope passed through the nose or mouth to directly view the airways and collect samples from the lungs.
Treatments
Sleep Treatments
- TreatmentCPAP TherapyContinuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) therapy, the standard first-line treatment for obstructive sleep apnea, including how it works, the equipment involved, and what to expect starting therapy.
- TreatmentBiPAP and Bilevel PAP: How It Differs From CPAPWhat bilevel PAP (BiPAP) therapy is, how its two alternating pressures work, why it's selected for certain patients, and what starting it typically involves.
- comparisonCPAP vs. BiPAPHow CPAP and BiPAP (bilevel PAP) differ in the pressure they deliver, when each is typically used, and why BiPAP isn't simply a "stronger" CPAP.
- TreatmentAdaptive Servo-Ventilation (ASV) TherapyA more advanced, breath-by-breath adaptive form of positive airway pressure therapy used to treat selected types of central and complex sleep apnea, with important patient-selection considerations in heart failure.
- TreatmentOral Appliance Therapy for Sleep ApneaCustom-fitted mandibular advancement devices that reposition the jaw during sleep to treat obstructive sleep apnea, including candidacy, the dental fitting process, efficacy, and follow-up care.
- TreatmentHypoglossal Nerve Stimulation for Sleep ApneaAn overview of hypoglossal nerve (upper-airway) stimulation therapy for obstructive sleep apnea, including how implanted stimulation devices work, general candidacy considerations, the pre-implant workup, and what treatment involves.
- TreatmentInspire Therapy for Sleep ApneaWhat Inspire upper airway stimulation is, how this specific FDA-approved implanted system works, who may be a candidate, and what the implantation, activation, and follow-up pathway involves.
- TreatmentGenio Hypoglossal Nerve StimulationWhat the Genio hypoglossal nerve stimulation system is, how its bilateral stimulation and external wearable component work, who may be a candidate, and how it compares to Inspire.
- TreatmentPositional Therapy for Sleep ApneaA treatment approach that keeps patients off their back during sleep to reduce breathing events in obstructive sleep apnea that is clearly worse in the supine position.
- TreatmentCBT-I (Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Insomnia)A structured, evidence-based, typically multi-week program of specific behavioral and cognitive techniques for chronic insomnia, and current sleep medicine guidance's first-line treatment ahead of routine long-term medication use.
- Compass GuideCPAP TroubleshootingPractical, problem-by-problem guidance for common CPAP issues (mask leak, dryness, pressure discomfort, and more), plus when it's time to loop in your care team.
- Compass GuideTraveling with CPAPPractical guidance on flying, driving, and traveling internationally with CPAP, including TSA and airline policy, battery and power options, and a packing checklist.
- TreatmentNarcolepsy TreatmentA closer look at how narcolepsy is treated, including wake-promoting medications, oxybate therapies, pitolisant, the newer orexin receptor agonist for Narcolepsy Type 1, and non-pharmacologic strategies.
- TreatmentRestless Legs Syndrome TreatmentA practical guide to treating restless legs syndrome: iron testing and replacement thresholds, non-drug and lifestyle management, and when and how medication is used.
Pulmonary Treatments
- TreatmentAirway Clearance for BronchiectasisA practical guide to the techniques and devices used to clear mucus in bronchiectasis, including huff coughing, PEP and oscillatory PEP devices, nebulized therapies, and how a respiratory therapist helps match the right approach to each patient.
- TreatmentAsthma BiologicsAn overview of biologic therapies for severe asthma, a class of injectable medications that target specific inflammatory pathways such as IgE, IL-5, IL-4/IL-13, and TSLP in patients whose asthma remains poorly controlled despite optimized inhaled therapy.
- TreatmentHome Oxygen TherapySupplemental oxygen delivered at home to correct measured low blood oxygen (hypoxemia), how it differs from treating breathlessness itself, how oxygen need is assessed and prescribed, and the safety and travel considerations that go with it.
- TreatmentPulmonary RehabilitationA structured, multidisciplinary program combining supervised exercise training, education, and behavioral support to improve function, breathlessness, and quality of life in people with chronic respiratory disease.
- TreatmentPulmonary Fibrosis TreatmentA deeper look at how pulmonary fibrosis is treated, including the two FDA-approved antifibrotic drug classes, how side effects are managed, how therapy is individualized and monitored, and when lung transplant or a clinical trial becomes part of the conversation.
- TreatmentPulmonary Hypertension Treatment OptionsA deeper look at how pulmonary hypertension treatment is chosen, why it depends on the underlying WHO group, and what the major treatment categories involve.