LOS ANGELES (KABC) — The American Medical Association estimates that 30 to 40 million Americans suffer from sleep apnea, but most go undiagnosed. Now there’s a new update to the Apple Watch’s Health app that could give you the information you need to get help.

Sleep apnea is a sleep disorder that causes breathing to temporarily stop, thereby interrupting the supply of oxygen to the brain and body.

Just because someone snores doesn’t mean they have obstructive sleep apnea, but it is a sign.

This chronic disease can have many health consequences.

“Cardiovascular health, diabetes, high blood pressure,” explained pulmonary and sleep medicine expert Dr. Raj Dasgupta of Huntington Health Hospital.

Sleep apnea can also increase the risk of dementia and mood disorders.

Medical sleep apnea tests require a doctor’s prescription, can be expensive, and require an overnight stay at a sleep center or hooking up to diagnostic equipment at home. Now, the Food and Drug Administration has approved Apple’s sleep apnea detection feature for use on Apple Watches.

“I don’t want to oversimplify it, but it’s an over-the-counter way to assess your risk for sleep apnea,” Dasgupta said.

He adds that it is not a diagnostic device, but that it checks for breathing disorders without using oxygen monitors.

The watch has a built-in accelerometer that detects movement. The detection is so sensitive that, combined with an algorithm, it can determine your airflow pattern and its interruptions.

“No oxygen in, no carbon dioxide out, and an apnea state usually only lasts ten seconds,” Dasgupta said.

For FDA approval, Apple tested the feature on about 1,400 people and then compared it to the gold standard medical sleep test.

According to Apple, the watch correctly warned people with apnea 66% of the time.

“This is another piece of the puzzle that you need to present to your doctor to make sure you get the big and right picture,” Dasgupta said.

Other devices such as the Oura ring and Fitbit can help detect signs of apnea. The Samsung Galaxy Watch has similar FDA approval.

Apple’s new sleep apnea detection feature will be available on the Apple Watch Series 9, 10, and Ultra 2, but you don’t need to buy one to get tested for sleep apnea.

Dasgupta said chronic snoring and constant fatigue require a conversation with your doctor.