Can a cold affect AHI readings?

[mikester]

I have my first major cold since I started CPAP 3 months ago, and fortunately received a Mirage Quattro FF mask yesterday - just in time. I slept for 12 hours last night with the new mask and there were no sizeable leaks - in fact according to Encore the average leak rate was 40 l/m, which is the same as the vent rate for the mask.

What surprised me was that my AHI was recorded as 5.3! With my previous masks (Swift and ComfortLite 2) my AHI was usually well under 1, even though they were somewhat leaky.

Could the elevated AHI readings just be the nasal congestion making it hard to breathe, which causes the machine to think an apnea is occuring?

NOTE - I just checked the software again, and the Hyponea rate was 4.8, apneas on .5. So that seems to reinforce that most of the events were partial obstructions, which seems consistent with being stopped up from the cold. I just want to confirm that is likely the case and not something else I should look into.

[Stefernie]

Yah, you're stopped up.

Here's a great recipe for industrial-strength salt water solution
Quart of water
Teaspoon of baking soda
2 teaspoons of PURE salt (NOT table...use canning or kosher)

Use a nasal/ear bulb and shoot up your schnoz.

My ENT gave me this recipe and I SWEAR by it.