If pulse ox is low at night- how to tell if it's sleep apena or copd? is there a sure fire way to tell the cause? sleep study showed very few.

Many causes....: There are many different problems that can cause a low pulse ox during sleep. A sleep test can diagnose obstructive sleep apnea as well as central sleep apnea. If neither of those are present as the cause of the low pulse ox, a pulmonary function test can determine if the airways are obstructed or restricted. An eval by a lung doc can help make the diagnosis and treat the cause.

No sure fire way: Sleep Apnea can be separate or together at the same time with COPD. Low pulse ox values can be erroneous at night because the probe has lost good contact necessary to be accurate. Poor blood flow where the probe is can give an inaccurate read as well. The best way to sort the low oxygen out is to have a full sleep study overnight in a sleep center. This is the best place to check for cause.SeeMD