A comprehensive clinical examination is the basis for selecting further diagnostic steps:
- General physical examination – including blood pressure, pulse, body weight, height; further:
- Inspection (viewing).
- Skin and mucous membranes
- Auscultation (listening) of the heart [due topossible secondary diseases: see there].
- Auscultation of the lungs
- Palpation (palpation) of the abdomen (abdomen), etc.
- Inspection (viewing).
- ENT examination – including epipharyngoscopy (nasopharyngoscopy) and laryngoscopy (laryngoscopy) [due topossible causes:
- Laryngeal stenosis – narrowing of the larynx.
- Nasal septum deviation – curvature of the nasal septum.
- Rhinitis (rhinitis) with restricted nasal breathing.
- Tumors in the nasopharynx
- Tonsillar hyperplasia – enlargement of the palatine tonsils]
- Neurological examination [due todifferential diagnosis: central sleep apnea syndrome]
- Health check
Square brackets [ ] indicate possible pathological (pathological) physical findings.
