Low AHI, High snore index and flow limitation

General Discussion on any topic relating to CPAP and/or Sleep Apnea.
jdmoore99
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Low AHI, High snore index and flow limitation

Post by jdmoore99 » Sat Oct 16, 2010 9:03 am

Hi,

I've been using CPAP for 10 days now. My pressure is straight CPAP at 14cm. Thanks to this forum I've been able to read my detailed statistics on my laptop from day 1, which is fantastic!

One difference I saw in my data compared to many others I've seen here is that while my AHI has been consistently below 2.0, I seem to have a snore index in the moderate to severe range and have moderate flow obstruction throughout the night. I asked my wife about the snoring and she says she hasn't heard anything - in fact it's too quiet and she's thinking about getting a white noise machine!

I use a quattro full face mask but I do try to breath through my nose as much as possible. My nose does tend to get stuffy throughout the night.

What should I be thinking about? Would a higher pressure or APAP help clear this up?

Thanks,
Dave

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Julie
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Re: Low AHI, High snore index and flow limitation

Post by Julie » Sat Oct 16, 2010 9:09 am

Hi, have you tried lowering the humidity? That often causes congestion and you might not need it so high. Otherwise, I would also suggest not trying to hard to breathe through your nose (or anything else) because just making a conscious effort to breathe in any way will get in the way of your relaxing and just getting enough sleep. You've done the smart thing by getting the Quattro, now let it do its job.

jdmoore99
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Joined: Tue Oct 05, 2010 7:10 pm

Re: Low AHI, High snore index and flow limitation

Post by jdmoore99 » Sat Oct 16, 2010 9:14 am

Thanks, Julie. I will experiment with some different humidity settings. I use the climate line hose, so I think in those terms lower temperature == lower humidity?

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DoriC
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Re: Low AHI, High snore index and flow limitation

Post by DoriC » Sat Oct 16, 2010 10:22 am

How's your leak rate? I've noticed on my husband's data that his higher snore index correlates to a higher leak rate.

_________________
Mask: Mirage Quattro™ Full Face CPAP Mask with Headgear
Humidifier: HumidAire H4i™ Heated Humidifier
Additional Comments: 14/8.4,PS=4, UMFF, 02@2L,
"Do or Do Not-There Is No Try"-"Yoda"
"We are what we repeatedly do,so excellence
is not an act but a habit"-"Aristotle"
DEAR HUBBY BEGAN CPAP 9/2/08

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dave21
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Re: Low AHI, High snore index and flow limitation

Post by dave21 » Sat Oct 16, 2010 10:47 am

Hi Dave,

As you've seen it's still possible to snore whilst on a CPAP although the nature of CPAP is that it gives you more oxygen to try and reduce blockage of the upper airway and reduce snoring. A number of things can still make you snore, e.g. lying on your back more whilst sleeping, if your soft palate is overly relaxed, if you have enlarged tonsils or adenoids or even if you are drinking alcohol of an evening or taking prescription medication.

First thing I would suggest is to sleep on your side if you're sleeping on your back or front, leave off the evening drink if you have one and see how that goes. Leaks can also create a similar side effect (e.g. not getting enough oxygen and causing your tongue to fall back into the throat and snore).

Having the AHI below 2.0 is certainly good, anything under 5.0 is considered good treatment.

Thanks
Dave

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jdmoore99
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Re: Low AHI, High snore index and flow limitation

Post by jdmoore99 » Sat Oct 16, 2010 10:58 am

DoriC wrote:How's your leak rate? I've noticed on my husband's data that his higher snore index correlates to a higher leak rate.
My leak rate is under 8L/min now that I got a mask liner, with plenty of times at zero... It doesn't look visually correlated to the snoring or times with the most flow restriction.

Thanks!

HoseCrusher
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Re: Low AHI, High snore index and flow limitation

Post by HoseCrusher » Sat Oct 16, 2010 12:05 pm

Dave,

It may be worthwhile to try to figure out how they determine snoring from air flow... Unless that machine has a microphone that actually records the snoring sound.

Your snoring may be something else and if you can figure out how the machine scores snoring you may be able to determine what is really going on.

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Mask: Brevida™ Nasal Pillow CPAP Mask with Headgear
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DoriC
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Re: Low AHI, High snore index and flow limitation

Post by DoriC » Sat Oct 16, 2010 12:57 pm

Just a thought. Could your hose be scraping against the bed/headboard? Are you using a hose cover? Sometimes those noises can be picked up as snores.

_________________
Mask: Mirage Quattro™ Full Face CPAP Mask with Headgear
Humidifier: HumidAire H4i™ Heated Humidifier
Additional Comments: 14/8.4,PS=4, UMFF, 02@2L,
"Do or Do Not-There Is No Try"-"Yoda"
"We are what we repeatedly do,so excellence
is not an act but a habit"-"Aristotle"
DEAR HUBBY BEGAN CPAP 9/2/08