results

Hi just got my lung function tests results back sent to my previous gp i notice. Don't know if i should take their word for it.


ODI (/hr) 2.3 Mean Sp02 (%) 97

Severity of OSA Normal Minimum Sp02 (%) 88
Mean pulse rate 65 % of study Sp02 > 90% 99
bmi 21 ESS (/24) 12

Readings taken after one night of wearing a pulse oximetre device what i would like to know is can they diagnos apnea either way from just the oximetre test or should i push for the other tests mentioned in one of my posts

I wouldn't think on their own they could be definitive for apnea alone, but if you test for apnea otherwise and get no confirmation, I'd want to ask about cardiac testing.

sleepyhead6867 wrote:Hi just got my lung function tests results back sent to my previous gp i notice. Don't know if i should take their word for it.


ODI (/hr) 2.3 Mean Sp02 (%) 97

Severity of OSA Normal Minimum Sp02 (%) 88
Mean pulse rate 65 % of study Sp02 > 90% 99
bmi 21 ESS (/24) 12

Readings taken after one night of wearing a pulse oximetre device what i would like to know is can they diagnos apnea either way from just the oximetre test or should i push for the other tests mentioned in one of my posts

Unlikely that they could correctly diagnose without further tests.

sleepyhead6867 wrote:can they diagnos apnea either way from just the oximetre test

Assuming the doctors have ruled out other causes such as lung dysfunction, a positive result from an oximeter test is usually accurate for diagnosing sleep apnea.

On the other hand, a negative result is inconclusive. Another way to say this is you can have sleep apnea without significant oxygen desaturations.

sleepyhead6867 wrote:should i push for the other tests

What are your symptoms that make you suspect sleep apnea? What are the doctors recommending after seeing the results of your oximetry study?

Breathlessness most of the time but worse after exertion a rigid feeling around my diaphragm like i can't get a full breath. Have stage two hypertension and some stomach issue's ie diverticular diesease and ibs/ibd. Have an appointment with my new gp this coming Thursday so will bring those test results with me..

sleepyhead6867 wrote:Have an appointment with my new gp this coming Thursday

Good luck. I hope he has a thorough discussion with you and conducts a thorough analysis.

Sometime I make a little note of all items to be discussed so that nothing is missed in the doc's office.

Thank you for the reassurance

Just a general suggestion... A negative or non diagnostic test result is not an answer unless every reasonable avenue has been explored. If one test is negative, then ask the doctor what test is next in diagnosing your symptoms. Sometimes they won't push if you don't.

My shortness of breath was severe enough they suspected cardiac issues or even a pulmonary embolism. Been to the ER a couple times. Pulmonary studies showed some restriction but nothing to panic about. Failed a stress test with no identifiable reason for the distress that caused them to stop the test almost as soon as they started. Over time it kept worsening. Lung X-Rays yielded no answers until a few years in they showed what appeared to be pneumonia which would not resolve with treatment. A particular CT Scan was finally done that was able to pick up fibrosis and finally I got my diagnosis - Interstitial Lung Disease. Had that scan been done earlier (Especially with my long-past history of severe toxic chemical inhalation.) I could have been spared being put on cardiac meds for 3 years that I didn't need and avoided the blood thinner injections in the belly, not to mention being scared sh%#less unnecessarily. Just saying, don't accept a non-answer.

The phrases you used - "Breathlessness most of the time but worse after exertion", "a rigid feeling round my diaphragm", and "like I can't get a full breath" - caught my eye.

I have in front of me an information sheet on hyperventilation syndrome given to me by the specialist who treated me for HVS back in the 90s. The info sheet gives six groups of symptoms.

Under "Respiratory:" it says "shortess of breath, typically after exertion, irritable cough, tightness or oppression of the chest, 'asthma', air hunger, inability to take a satisfying breath, excessive sighing, yawning or sniffing."

Obviously, you don't have to have all of these to qualify - but having several of them is what doctors call "suggestive (of)".

There is no simple way to arrive at a diagnosis of HVS. Usually it's reached when all other things are excluded.

In that context, I'd agree with others here - your overnight pulse-ox test does not point clearly to 'sleep apnea'.

Your new GP (US, primary-care physician) might send you for a three-channel sleep study. He or she might ask for an update/ follow-up look at the COPD you mentioned. If nothing else 'organic' indicates, he or she might consider HVS and refer you to a respiratory physiotherapist - treatment is breathing exercises.

But, as the specialist who treated me said, that possibility is often overlooked by busy GPs.

If it's any help, Dinah Bradley, a qualified respiratory physiotherapist, has a book out - Self-Help for Hyperventilation Syndrome (at this moment, Amazon has both new and used paperback copies).

But as she says, it's better if you learn and practice the breathing exercises, and correct any postural bad habits, under supervision from a specialist physiotherapist.

Much thanks for all of the advice gladly gp took all on-board now awaiting referral to a sleep clinc