Severity of your OSA

[2flamingos]

46.8 AHI, 02 stats 89% Sleep efficiency 74%

[GrumpyGurl]

AHI = 97

Oxygen = lowest 80%, average of 84%

longest episode of not breathing = 41 seconds

Never got out of second level sleep, no REM sleep at all.

[Captain_Midnight]

You ask an interesting question D.S.; and, I actually had to go back to my 05 study and check. Supine, I was 55 AHI w no REM at all. It's a wonder I lived through the nightly hell long enough to get a sleep study (in my late 50s).

Something that I find worrisome about sleep study results are those folks who are tweeners. Those folks with high mild - moderate AHIs that don't seem to get the respect of the Sleep Establishment, but still they report some frankly awful (and familiar) symptoms. For comparison, I can tell in the A.M. if I have an AHI of over about 1.0 as my internal ick-o-meter just tells me so (I'm normally below 0.5 thanks to what I've learned hereabouts.) I suspect that a lot of people who have frank apnea are told they are within the "normal range" and never get treatment and (you know the rest.)

In the future, I suspect that the arbitrary numerical definitions separating mild-moderate-and severe apnea will be lowered; and sleep studies will take into account natural variations in sleep patterns as well as the obvious tendency for some to sleep less deeply in strange surroundings (and wired up like a ball of spaghetti).

Good question D.S. (How's the low carb diet going, BTW?)

Regards all - - Capt M.


.

[dmstangu]

AHI = 117
SpO2 lowest = 34%
SpO2 average = 78% (this is me choking, not embarrased...)

[computerguy2]

AHI = 53.4
O2 = 78%
9 minutes below 85%
Wake Episodes = 61
Arousals = 47.9
TST/SPT = 86.2%

CPAP Pressure = 17

First complete week on CPAP

[Restlessdave]

Total AHI 116
Rem AHI 129.8
Non Rem AHI 115
Lowest Saturation 78%
14.1% Sleep time below 88%

[cpapsue]

AHI 103 Oxygen down to 68% , 1 central - I had no clue other than feeling as though I was awaking up every hour or so.

[track]

Is there any way to get a reasonably accurate determination with a cpap machine? Might a person set the pressure at the minimum...or there abouts...and use the results to predict ones OSA severity?

[whatrdreamsmadeof]

Tell me, is the cm actually a measure of the severity of someone's OSA? I believe the debilitation factor is more of a measure, I most definately could be wrong but I know how I felt before and after and how although cpap is wonderful and changed my life, it is not a cure for everyone, so please let me know your thoughts everyone, as I am very curious.
Ellen

[DreamStalker]

Tell me, is the cm actually a measure of the severity of someone's OSA? I believe the debilitation factor is more of a measure, I most definately could be wrong but I know how I felt before and after and how although cpap is wonderful and changed my life, it is not a cure for everyone, so please let me know your thoughts everyone, as I am very curious.
Ellen

cm is not a measure of OSA severity but rather it is a measure of the therapy pressure (amount of pressure required to raise a column of water by 1 cm). Everyone has different pressure needs regardless of their OSA severity and thus there is absolutely no correlation between cm of pressure needed and OSA severity. In other words, someone may have very mild OSA and need very high pressure while someone else may have very severe OSA and only need a much lower pressure.

True ... CPAP is NOT a cure ... it is a thereapy, life long for most OSA patients.

As for OSA severity based on debilitation, I suppose that is a valid viewpoint but I suspect it is much more difficult to measure as debilitation is more subjective and hence AHI is the more common standard of measurement since it is a quantitative measure. As was mentioned earlier, O2 desaturation could also be used as a measure and it too is a quantitative measure.

[carbonman]

I believe the debilitation factor is more of a measure, I most definately could be wrong but I know how I felt before and after and how although cpap is wonderful and changed my life, it is not a cure for everyone, so please let me know your thoughts everyone, as I am very curious.
Ellen

The debilitating factor.....interesting thought.

That caused me to look back at pre-cpap quality of life....

......... YIKES .....

When the reality of OSA started to sink in,
it scared me to my core.
As I sit here now and consider the possibility of
EVER feeling like that again......
it scares me even worse.

Got'a go.....will be on the auction,
looking for a third machine, just incase.

[deerslayer]

after i had my sleep study @ the infamous Alvin C.York VA campus(here of late known worldwide for their infecting vets from unclean colostomy gear)..they never told me results of sleep study, just issued equipment-- so i can't vote on this one....only reason i went for sleep study was because my wife said i kept her awake w/ chocking and gasping

[DreamStalker]

I wonder if this is beginning to show that those who have mild to moderate OSA are more likely to give up on their therapy and not seek further help (ie internet forums) than those with a more severe condition?

You ask an interesting question D.S.; and, I actually had to go back to my 05 study and check. Supine, I was 55 AHI w no REM at all. It's a wonder I lived through the nightly hell long enough to get a sleep study (in my late 50s).

Something that I find worrisome about sleep study results are those folks who are tweeners. Those folks with high mild - moderate AHIs that don't seem to get the respect of the Sleep Establishment, but still they report some frankly awful (and familiar) symptoms. For comparison, I can tell in the A.M. if I have an AHI of over about 1.0 as my internal ick-o-meter just tells me so (I'm normally below 0.5 thanks to what I've learned hereabouts.) I suspect that a lot of people who have frank apnea are told they are within the "normal range" and never get treatment and (you know the rest.)

In the future, I suspect that the arbitrary numerical definitions separating mild-moderate-and severe apnea will be lowered; and sleep studies will take into account natural variations in sleep patterns as well as the obvious tendency for some to sleep less deeply in strange surroundings (and wired up like a ball of spaghetti).

Good question D.S. (How's the low carb diet going, BTW?)

Regards all - - Capt M.


.

Low carb diet going well but slow. I occasionally fall off the wagon for potatoes or corn chips (maybe once a week) ... but have not had rice, bread, pastries, pasta, cereal, or any other starch or sugar food in well over 6 months now. It has been well over a year since I last had any sweetened drink or juice of any kind.

[Ganesha]

Sleep Study
AHI =23.1
DeSat = 86%

On CPAP at 8 cm
AHI now less than 5.0

[Elbysmom2004]

AHI of 120 and Desat 63