Diagnosed with Mild OSA....Now what do I do?

[sleepygary314]

Waiting for the official report to come in the mail so I can share, but the test did confirm that I have mild OSA. Considering the quality/amount of sleep I got, it could be worse than mild, but Idk. Now Im trying to figure out my next steps. Part of me wants to get a CPAP just incase, another part wants to try the oral appliance.


I know most of you have moderate to severe OSA, but if anyone here uses either for mild OSA, please chime in, with suggestions and experiences. Of course, anyone who can help with next steps is welcome to chime in. Im mostly just curious if CPAP is as impactful in mild OSA cases as it is in others.

[Julie]

Lots here have mild... and they use either C/Apap or positional therapy depending on various things... but wait til you get results before deciding. I can help you re the positional answer, but it will depend on your report among other things.

[Bertha deBlues]

I have mild OSA and was not happy about having to adjust to a mask and machine, but I'm glad I did. I started with CPAP, but have found that Auto PAP better addresses my needs. I've tried several different types of masks, but not an oral appliance, and have settled on a nasal pillow. Best of luck to you.

[sleepygary314]

Lots here have mild... and they use either C/Apap or positional therapy depending on various things... but wait til you get results before deciding. I can help you re the positional answer, but it will depend on your report among other things.

Thanks Julie. I'll probably need help interpreting the report if they look anything like the ones I see on here

[sleepygary314]

I have mild OSA and was not happy about having to adjust to a mask and machine, but I'm glad I did. I started with CPAP, but have found that Auto PAP better addresses my needs. I've tried several different types of masks, but not an oral appliance, and have settled on a nasal pillow. Best of luck to you.

I was reading somewhere that cpap doesnt do much for mild osa, but idk if mine is really mild. Im mostly worried about spending money on something that might not help me at all

[Pugsy]

Here's the deal about the categories for sleep apnea diagnosis.
They go solely on average apnea count per hour. They had to come up with something and that's what they came up with.
A person can have "mild" OSA and still have significant oxygen level drops or significant sleep disruptions.
Or sometimes they can be "mild" in one sleep stage but "severe" in REM sleep stage.
Same thing can happen with sleeping positions...severe when on their back and mild when on their side.

My OSA was "mild" in non REM....averaged 12 per hour but some of those were long in duration and I was having significant oxygen level drops despite the "mild" classification. Oxygen levels aren't really part of the diagnosis criteria.
But in REM my OSA was 53 per hour so it got the "severe" label.

Even if someone has a "mild" AHI of 10...that's still 1 every 6 minutes and most often they aren't exactly 6 minutes apart, instead they tend to group together and the effect on the body gets multiplied.
How do you think you would feel if I came over to your house and woke you up every 6 minutes all night long? Pretty crappy I bet.

Get your sleep study and then start thinking about if you want to try cpap or not.
For help in understanding what you will see on that report take a look here.
http://adventures-in-hosehead-land.blog ... -test.html

Finally don't think that just because the category is "mild" that a person won't feel better with cpap. We have lots of forum members here whose numbers for AHI were in the single digits yet they noticed an improvement in how they felt.

I don't know if sleep apnea is the cause of your unwanted symptoms or not but it is possible and once you get the full report you will have a better handle on understanding the chances.

[Bertha deBlues]

I have mild OSA and was not happy about having to adjust to a mask and machine, but I'm glad I did. I started with CPAP, but have found that Auto PAP better addresses my needs. I've tried several different types of masks, but not an oral appliance, and have settled on a nasal pillow. Best of luck to you.

I was reading somewhere that cpap doesnt do much for mild osa, but idk if mine is really mild. Im mostly worried about spending money on something that might not help me at all

PAP therapy made a difference for my mild OSA, took my AHI from 13 to 1-2. I'm sleeping more soundly, feeling more refreshed on waking, and my energy level has improved, also my husband doesn't worry as much about me. He is the one who suggested I get tested for sleep apnea because I would struggle to breathe, then stop, then gasp for air. Doesn't happen anymore.

I would go on PAP therapy again. Of course, YMMV.

[jnk...]

If a sleep test earns one the right to try PAP, one should take full advantage of that right. That is the value of receiving the diagnosis. Don't throw that value away.

A person with "mild" OSA one night (as in, the night of the study) may have moderate-to-severe OSA another night--especially a night with a bad cold or allergies or the like.

[AkaNina]

At my sleep study I was told I have mild sleep apnea with a level of 5.4 and I've been using a cpap for almost 5 months. I don't feel any different, I still tire easily and am getting quite discouraged with the cpap. According to the Dreammapper app, my AHI levels still run near 5 and have even gone as high as 6.4. I plan on discussing the option of using a dental appliance at my next doctor's appointment. I wish you the very best of luck. I would at least try a cpap.

[Guest]

I was diagnosed with mild sleep apnea too.

I thought I was having anxiety at night, because ONLY when I was trying to go to sleep, I was waking up with a rapid heart beat and trouble breathing. The more tired I was, the worse the symptoms. I started using an old CPAP and it changed my life.

I just got a brand new APAP today and it changed my life.

I bet you're not getting great sleep and you'll feel a big difference. I know I did! Now I don't have to take anxiety or sleep meds, because that wasn't the problem all along anyway.

[Guest]

I should have said, I got a new APAP today, and I think it will be better. The CPAP was the thing that originally changed my life. Haha!

[zoocrewphoto]

I have mild OSA and was not happy about having to adjust to a mask and machine, but I'm glad I did. I started with CPAP, but have found that Auto PAP better addresses my needs. I've tried several different types of masks, but not an oral appliance, and have settled on a nasal pillow. Best of luck to you.

I was reading somewhere that cpap doesnt do much for mild osa, but idk if mine is really mild. Im mostly worried about spending money on something that might not help me at all

=======

and where did you read that

you cant do as much for mild as severe
but you can do a lot that is good to help you

Strange response. You are one who complains that ahi is not everything, and this could be a perfect example of that. Yet, you believe that mild can't be helped as much as severe? As Pugsy mentioned, the ahi could be mild, yet the events could be really long, clustered together, and/or causing huge dips in oxygen saturation. This is one time where your speech about ahi would be totally appropriate. It *IS* only one factor, and not a real test of how poorly a person sleeps or how much improvement they could expect.

To the OP: Go for the cpap. It has a much better success rate as well as a better defined success rate. As in, success is an ahi of less than 5. (many people really don't feel great until they get below 2). Oral appliances and surgery usually define success as a 50% reduction in ahi. So, if an ahi of 20 drops to 10, they will call it a success; even though 10 is still considered high enough to treat. My untreated ahi was 79. They would consider my treatment a success if it went down to 40. Still severe. I use a cpap, and I rarely exceed 1.5.

[zoocrewphoto]

I have mild OSA and was not happy about having to adjust to a mask and machine, but I'm glad I did. I started with CPAP, but have found that Auto PAP better addresses my needs. I've tried several different types of masks, but not an oral appliance, and have settled on a nasal pillow. Best of luck to you.

I was reading somewhere that cpap doesnt do much for mild osa, but idk if mine is really mild. Im mostly worried about spending money on something that might not help me at all

=======

and where did you read that

you cant do as much for mild as severe
but you can do a lot that is good to help you

Strange response. You are one who complains that ahi is not everything, and this could be a perfect example of that. Yet, you believe that mild can't be helped as much as severe? As Pugsy mentioned, the ahi could be mild, yet the events could be really long, clustered together, and/or causing huge dips in oxygen saturation. This is one time where your speech about ahi would be totally appropriate. It *IS* only one factor, and not a real test of how poorly a person sleeps or how much improvement they could expect.

To the OP: Go for the cpap. It has a much better success rate as well as a better defined success rate. As in, success is an ahi of less than 5. (many people really don't feel great until they get below 2). Oral appliances and surgery usually define success as a 50% reduction in ahi. So, if an ahi of 20 drops to 10, they will call it a success; even though 10 is still considered high enough to treat. My untreated ahi was 79. They would consider my treatment a success if it went down to 40. Still severe. I use a cpap, and I rarely exceed 1.5.

=====

nonsense

AHI is not everything
but it is something

after you get the AHI low
then you can focus on the real problems making you tired

The other data is available now. HOw long the events are, how low the oxygen saturation went, if the events are clustered. No need to wait to work on them.