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Oxygen levels And sleep apnea.

Posted: Wed Apr 24, 2013 12:19 pm
by racprops
Here is my question of the day.


From what I have been reading the drop of oxygen during a sleep apnea event IS the main problem and the main killer.

IS that correct??

And what is OK and what is OH MY GOD levels…

It seems to me keeping your blood O2 levels up in the main concern, it seems to be what we really need to watch.

Again am I correct?


Rich

Re: Oxygen levels And sleep apnea.

Posted: Wed Apr 24, 2013 12:43 pm
by DreamStalker
Correct.

A normal adult should maintain resting oxygen saturation levels between 95 and 100 percent.

Not a real big deal if it goes down to 90%.

Below that it needs to be addressed.

During my sleep study, the tech told me the next morning he got scared that he would have to dial 911 when my levels would go down to 60% ... and yet I survived.

Get yourself a cheap oximeter online.

Re: Oxygen levels And sleep apnea.

Posted: Wed Apr 24, 2013 12:53 pm
by Lugus
Pickup a CMS50D+ for around $70 It will allow you to record your oxygen and pulse levels while you sleep. It can be really interesting correlating the reading with your CPAP data and it will help save you life.

Re: Oxygen levels And sleep apnea.

Posted: Wed Apr 24, 2013 1:04 pm
by caffeinatedcfo
Yar - simple mechanics actually. If you can't breathe you can't replenish the O2 in your blood. Without enough O2, cells die.

Re: Oxygen levels And sleep apnea.

Posted: Wed Apr 24, 2013 1:10 pm
by khauser
racprops wrote:Here is my question of the day.


From what I have been reading the drop of oxygen during a sleep apnea event IS the main problem and the main killer.

IS that correct??

And what is OK and what is OH MY GOD levels…

It seems to me keeping your blood O2 levels up in the main concern, it seems to be what we really need to watch.

Again am I correct?


Rich
You could definitely say it is the main problem, but the main killer? That might not be the case. Lack of proper sleep, because you keep re-awakening, contributes to a bunch of side effects, such as brain fog, memory issues, coordination issues and so on. THESE could easily be what kills you, though they are triggered by the main problem.

Re: Oxygen levels And sleep apnea.

Posted: Thu Apr 25, 2013 3:16 am
by stage0
Short term-yes. Oxygen levwels in the 30.40, 50 ( that i have seen) can cause the heart to stop ot loose the rhythm.

Long-term affects have been linked to high blood pressure, pre-diabetes and diabetes, a-fib; certain cancers, comprimised immune system. Apnea is also comprimising gas exchanging...so, CO-2 levels are also increasing in the blood.

Re: Oxygen levels And sleep apnea.

Posted: Thu Apr 25, 2013 4:27 am
by Todzo
racprops wrote:Here is my question of the day.


From what I have been reading the drop of oxygen during a sleep apnea event IS the main problem and the main killer.

IS that correct??

And what is OK and what is OH MY GOD levels…

It seems to me keeping your blood O2 levels up in the main concern, it seems to be what we really need to watch.

Again am I correct?


Rich
Hi Rich!

When they test by the mice using the "normal" method of letting the O2 levels drop in the room they get a bit of change. But when a researcher recently caused actual apneas he got severe brain damage in 30 days!

I think it is more complicated than just O2 levels. I think that stress hormones and hypocapnic response are also involved.

Have a great week!

Todzo

Re: Oxygen levels And sleep apnea.

Posted: Thu Apr 25, 2013 5:28 am
by DreamStalker
Of course there is a complicated cascade of issues ... but it all starts with a lack of oxygen. Provide the oxygen and cascade of issues associated with apnea are resolved.

apnea /ap·ne·a/ (ˈapnēə)
Noun
Temporary cessation of breathing or respiration, esp. during sleep.

respiration /res·pi·ra·tion/ (res″pĭ-ra´shun)
1. the exchange of oxygen and carbon dioxide between the atmosphere and the body cells, including ventilation (inhalation and exhalation); diffusion of oxygen from alveoli to blood and of carbon dioxide from blood to alveoli; and transport of oxygen to and carbon dioxide from body cells.
2. ventilation (1).
3. cellular respiration; the exergonic metabolic processes in living cells by which molecular oxygen is taken in, organic substances are oxidized, free energy is released, and carbon dioxide, water, and other oxidized products are given off by the cell.

Re: Oxygen levels And sleep apnea.

Posted: Thu Apr 25, 2013 6:57 am
by Tom W
Todzo wrote:
I think it is more complicated than just O2 levels. I think that stress hormones and hypocapnic response are also involved.
DreamStalker wrote:Of course there is a complicated cascade of issues ... but it all starts with a lack of oxygen. Provide the oxygen and cascade of issues associated with apnea are resolved.
IMO...

Of course there is a complicated cascade of issues ... but it all starts with a lack of being able to breath / get enough air. Provide the ability to EASILY breath and the cascade of issues associated with it are resolved.

I think if it were just a matter of O2 deprivation, CPAP and/or O2 therapy would FIX everything but I think GOOD sleep usually is a little more complicated than we are willing to admit most of the time.

Re: Oxygen levels And sleep apnea.

Posted: Thu Apr 25, 2013 1:23 pm
by Todzo
DreamStalker wrote:Of course there is a complicated cascade of issues ... but it all starts with a lack of oxygen. Provide the oxygen and cascade of issues associated with apnea are resolved.

apnea /ap·ne·a/ (ˈapnēə)
Noun
Temporary cessation of breathing or respiration, esp. during sleep.

respiration /res·pi·ra·tion/ (res″pĭ-ra´shun)
1. the exchange of oxygen and carbon dioxide between the atmosphere and the body cells, including ventilation (inhalation and exhalation); diffusion of oxygen from alveoli to blood and of carbon dioxide from blood to alveoli; and transport of oxygen to and carbon dioxide from body cells.
2. ventilation (1).
3. cellular respiration; the exergonic metabolic processes in living cells by which molecular oxygen is taken in, organic substances are oxidized, free energy is released, and carbon dioxide, water, and other oxidized products are given off by the cell.
Talk to us about what happens in the human body if there is too little carbon dioxide. How does that affect circulation? How does that affect metabolism?

Re: Oxygen levels And sleep apnea.

Posted: Thu Apr 25, 2013 1:29 pm
by Todzo
Tom W wrote:
Todzo wrote:
I think it is more complicated than just O2 levels. I think that stress hormones and hypocapnic response are also involved.
DreamStalker wrote:Of course there is a complicated cascade of issues ... but it all starts with a lack of oxygen. Provide the oxygen and cascade of issues associated with apnea are resolved.
IMO...

Of course there is a complicated cascade of issues ... but it all starts with a lack of being able to breath / get enough air. Provide the ability to EASILY breath and the cascade of issues associated with it are resolved.

I think if it were just a matter of O2 deprivation, CPAP and/or O2 therapy would FIX everything but I think GOOD sleep usually is a little more complicated than we are willing to admit most of the time.
One of the things that still amazes me is that over breathing consistently stuffs up my nose. Every time. It is how I usually first notice that I am over breathing.

So this summer, as last summer I have hope that I will smell the flowers all spring and summer long. So after many many years of being driven to the drug store in hope of finding some relief from “allergies” I simply breath in a eucapnic manner and enjoy the flowers.

Perhaps the best question here is where does all that obstruction come from?

Re: Oxygen levels And sleep apnea.

Posted: Thu Apr 25, 2013 1:45 pm
by Tom W
Todzo wrote:
Perhaps the best question here is where does all that obstruction come from?
I also suffer from sinus congestion problems.

I also believe I suffer from VCD while I'm asleep.

Perhaps our bodies are attempting to regulate our breathing by 'any means possible'?

Re: Oxygen levels And sleep apnea.

Posted: Thu Apr 25, 2013 1:46 pm
by DreamStalker
Todzo wrote:
DreamStalker wrote:Of course there is a complicated cascade of issues ... but it all starts with a lack of oxygen. Provide the oxygen and cascade of issues associated with apnea are resolved.

apnea /ap·ne·a/ (ˈapnēə)
Noun
Temporary cessation of breathing or respiration, esp. during sleep.

respiration /res·pi·ra·tion/ (res″pĭ-ra´shun)
1. the exchange of oxygen and carbon dioxide between the atmosphere and the body cells, including ventilation (inhalation and exhalation); diffusion of oxygen from alveoli to blood and of carbon dioxide from blood to alveoli; and transport of oxygen to and carbon dioxide from body cells.
2. ventilation (1).
3. cellular respiration; the exergonic metabolic processes in living cells by which molecular oxygen is taken in, organic substances are oxidized, free energy is released, and carbon dioxide, water, and other oxidized products are given off by the cell.
Talk to us about what happens in the human body if there is too little carbon dioxide. How does that affect circulation? How does that affect metabolism?
Average composition of the air we breathe:

Nitrogen -- N2 -- 78.084%
Oxygen -- O2 -- 20.9476%
Argon -- Ar -- 0.934%
Carbon Dioxide -- CO2 -- 0.0314%
Neon -- Ne -- 0.001818%
Methane -- CH4 -- 0.0002%
Helium -- He -- 0.000524%

As you can see, CO2 pales in comparison to O2. Our bodies produce CO2 as a by-product of respiration in concentrations greater than average air composition. When we have an apnea, it is the lack of O2 that is critical ... not a lack of CO2. In other words, hypocapnia (the lack of CO2) is not caused by apnea ... quite the contrary, CO2 builds up in the blood stream (hypercapnia) when we go into apnea ... hence the symptoms being headache, confusion, lethargy, progressing to convulsions, unconsciousness, and even death.

Re: Oxygen levels And sleep apnea.

Posted: Thu Apr 25, 2013 1:57 pm
by Todzo
DreamStalker wrote:
Todzo wrote:
DreamStalker wrote:Of course there is a complicated cascade of issues ... but it all starts with a lack of oxygen. Provide the oxygen and cascade of issues associated with apnea are resolved.

apnea /ap·ne·a/ (ˈapnēə)
Noun
Temporary cessation of breathing or respiration, esp. during sleep.

respiration /res·pi·ra·tion/ (res″pĭ-ra´shun)
1. the exchange of oxygen and carbon dioxide between the atmosphere and the body cells, including ventilation (inhalation and exhalation); diffusion of oxygen from alveoli to blood and of carbon dioxide from blood to alveoli; and transport of oxygen to and carbon dioxide from body cells.
2. ventilation (1).
3. cellular respiration; the exergonic metabolic processes in living cells by which molecular oxygen is taken in, organic substances are oxidized, free energy is released, and carbon dioxide, water, and other oxidized products are given off by the cell.
Talk to us about what happens in the human body if there is too little carbon dioxide. How does that affect circulation? How does that affect metabolism?
Average composition of the air we breathe:

Nitrogen -- N2 -- 78.084%
Oxygen -- O2 -- 20.9476%
Argon -- Ar -- 0.934%
Carbon Dioxide -- CO2 -- 0.0314%
Neon -- Ne -- 0.001818%
Methane -- CH4 -- 0.0002%
Helium -- He -- 0.000524%

As you can see, CO2 pales in comparison to O2. Our bodies produce CO2 as a by-product of respiration in concentrations greater than average air composition. When we have an apnea, it is the lack of O2 that is critical ... not a lack of CO2. In other words, hypocapnia (the lack of CO2) is not caused by apnea ... quite the contrary, CO2 builds up in the blood stream (hypercapnia) when we go into apnea ... hence the symptoms being headache, confusion, lethargy, progressing to convulsions, unconsciousness, and even death.
And also please talk to us about what happens proceeding the apnea.

Thanks!

Todzo

Re: Oxygen levels And sleep apnea.

Posted: Thu Apr 25, 2013 2:03 pm
by Todzo
Tom W wrote:
Todzo wrote:
Perhaps the best question here is where does all that obstruction come from?
I also suffer from sinus congestion problems.

I also believe I suffer from VCD while I'm asleep.

Perhaps our bodies are attempting to regulate our breathing by 'any means possible'?
"by 'any means possible'". I wonder the same thing.

I think the whole thing starts with stress. We over breath and the body responds with apnea (that should solve that!!). But apnea increases stress hormones ... . . . ...

At least the circulation gets to resume a bit and metabolism as well for a sort time.