Pulse Oximeter report vs home sleep study

After doing the home sleep test and getting my results mild to Moderate Sleep apnea (AHI of 6) i noticed my lowest blood oxygen was 80% for 1 minute with about 5 apneas an hour but an avg O2 level of 95%. I purchased a contec cms50d+ and I 3 days of overnight reports did not have lower than 88% o2 and for a max of 1 minute. Although I understand that not breathing will obviously result in lower o2 levels, do many people with mild to moderate sleep apnea not have low o2 levels and just the process of your throat closing and waking up many times prevent you from resting?

Were you wearing your CPAP while using the cms50d?

Folks even with severe sleep apnea sometimes don't have significant SpO2 drops.
It has more to do with duration than with frequency.
Lots of OSA events that don't last long really mess with your sleep quality without having much effect on O2 levels.

Ricalynn, no. I haven't been using cpap for last week. Had a glidewell silent night made at dentist to see if it will work for me instead.

Jds7r, that is exactly what I wanted to understand. I was initially more concerned about the ramifications of low O2 than just being really exhausted when I wake up. Still can't get used to cpap hose after a few weeks.

Daso wrote:Jds7r, that is exactly what I wanted to understand. I was initially more concerned about the ramifications of low O2 than just being really exhausted when I wake up. Still can't get used to cpap hose after a few weeks.

Please don't misunderstand, significant drops in SpO2 levels can do damage. Measuring both apnea type and frequency together with SpO2 levels is very helpful for apnea patients. Its just that recording few or no drops in SpO2 is not an indicator, in itself, of no sleep apnea problems. Use of a pulse oximeter alone is not a reasonable substitute for either a home or lab sleep study (getting back to your subject line question.)

With a diagnosis of obstructive sleep apnea, the "being exhausted in the morning" is a symptom. Your body has generated all sorts of hormonal activity in response to the obstructive events that injure your heart, lungs, etc. even in the absence of any significant drops in SpO2 level. An OSA event is a significant stressor and the body reacts, that's why people sometimes wake up gasping and struggling to breathe. Its still stressful even if it resolved by a partial awakening that the patient doesn't remember.

The problem that I see with oral appliances (I've never tried one) is that they provide the patient with no ability to measure their efficacy except by the gross measure of "how do you feel in the morning." That is very subjective. They apparently do work for some people and I hope that the one you have works for you. Does your prescribing doctor offer any means of measuring efficacy beyond going back for another sleep study?

For the sake of comparison, an SpO2 of 89% on room air during waking hours would qualify you for supplemental oxygen therapy. If you were using the dental appliance and receiving some small benefit, I would expect your SpO2 to be marginally better than it was sitting the sleep study, but it doesn't sound like it was a significant improvement and certainly not a cure or a negation of the sleep study results

Jds74, I agree. I barely spoke with the doctors in the practice after the diagnosis, it was like pulling teeth getting more than the actual report. Just met the technician twice when I complained that I wanted the S9 autoset instead of escape. Speaking to a doctor more than once at this practice is tough. Feel like I'm on my own.

Ricalynn, Thank you. The numbers I mentioned are all without cpap or mouthpiece which I am waiting for.