Rising EPH Numbers

I have been using a CPAP for a 1 and 1/2 now. I have really struggled with CPAP masks. I have a bad deviated septum which complicates matters. I am seriously considering corrective surgery in the near future. With a deviated septum, I was surprised the nasal masks actually work the best. Only problem is I almost always wake after about 3 hours of use and my breathing is sluggish and I have to remove the mask. One night after waking up, I checked my EPH and it was .9. I put on a nasal pillow mask and used that and I had undisturbed sleep for 4 hours. Only problem is I checked my EPH again after at total of 7 total hours (both masks) and my EPH was 5.5, higher than it has ever been. I have noticed when I have used the nasal pillow mask, although a little uncomfortable, I am able to sleep uninterupted, but my EPH numbers are rising to numbers that average 3. Using any of the masks I have used before, my EPA averaged .8 or .9.

Welcome! I'm betting you're referring to your AHI, which stands for Apnea-Hypopnea Index. the AHI that your machine provides is a number that adds up three categories of events and then divides by your time on the machine. The three categories are

* obstructive apnea
* central apnea (or clear airway)
* hypopnea.

I'm guessing you're asking why your AHI is going up, and whether that has something to do with the kind of mask you're using. To answer your question, we'd need more information -- ideally, a chart from the Oscar software.

To use Oscar, your machine needs to be compatible with the software. The odds are that your machine is compatible, but please let us know what kind of machine you have. If it's compatible, you then need a laptop or desktop computer, an SD card in your machine, and a way to read the SD card (either a slot in your computer or a card reader that plugs into your computer). Let us know whether this all sounds feasible.

Small request: could you fill out your profile with information about your machine and mask(s)? That way it'll be there whenever people read your posts.

pjammer wrote: ↑

Fri Aug 11, 2023 9:58 am

I have been using a CPAP for a 1 and 1/2 now.

the forum is going to need a lot more info. please read the following-
viewtopic/t172378/Sticky--Newbies-PLEAS ... STING.html

good luck!