Resaults of my sleep study

I just got my results and thought I would share them with you.
AHI pre-Cpap is 28.4 with hypoxemia to 80%
sleep hypercapnia, borderline, suggesting alveolar hypoventilation. hmmm to many big words the suggestion is Cpap at 10cm.
They stated it was worse when I was supine. So I should try not to lay on my back. Does this make sense to anyone? Not much to me. I have a lot of info here that is making my head spin. I didn't find the Doctor helpful. I asked him to dumb it up for me. and I think he may have tried but I think I must be to dumb. Could use any help you have to offer.

becca

Most people with sleep apnea will have more apneas and hypopneas on their backs than on their sides. Gravity is working against the soft tissues in your throat on your back. That is true to a much lesser degree on your side. Even with successful cpap treatment, you will likely see a higher Apnea/Hypopnea Index (AHI) if you sleep on your back as opposed to on your side. So, from an apnea standpoint, yes... try to sleep on your side as much as possible.

APNEA = cessation of airflow for 10 seconds or greater.

HYPOPNEA =>50% decrease in airflow for 10 seconds or greater with a decrease in oxygen saturation of >3%.

APNEA/HYPOPNEA INDEX (AHI) = apnea plus (+) HYPOPNEA divided by the hours of sleep. 5 or less is considered normal.

Your # of apneas per hour was in the high moderate range (anything over 30 is considered severe). Hypoxemia refers to the amount of dissolved oxygen in arterial blood. 80% is very low. Aveolar hypoventilation simply means that the aveoli (tiny air sacs in your lungs) aren't getting enough oxygen even though lung function is normal (i.e. no disease)... most likely caused by an airway obstruction (i.e. collapse of the soft tissues in your throat).

Many masks, especially full face masks, will leak if you lay on your side, since the pillow will tend to push them to one side. Several nasal masks and nasal pillow masks work well for side sleepers. Look into the Breeze, the Swift LT, the Opus 360, the ComfortLite II, and the Headrest for possible nasal pillow interfaces.

Hope this helps!

beccatin wrote:I just got my results and thought I would share them with you.
AHI pre-Cpap is 28.4 with hypoxemia to 80%
sleep hypercapnia, borderline, suggesting alveolar hypoventilation. hmmm to many big words the suggestion is Cpap at 10cm.
They stated it was worse when I was supine. So I should try not to lay on my back. Does this make sense to anyone? Not much to me. I have a lot of info here that is making my head spin. I didn't find the Doctor helpful. I asked him to dumb it up for me. and I think he may have tried but I think I must be to dumb. Could use any help you have to offer.

becca

I'll help with what I can. (Somebody correct me if I get some of these wrong)

AHI pre-CPAP of 28.4 - Means on average 28.4 times per hour you either had an Apnea (stopped breathing for > 10 seconds) or a hypopnea (reduced flow in breathing)
Hypoxemia to 80% - Your Blood Oxygen saturation at at least one point dropped down to 80%. This is fairly low, if I remember correctly.
The next line, I would need some help on myself
Sleep Apnea is frequently worse when supine (laying on your back). This is often attributed to your tongue (and other soft tissues) relaxing and collapsing your airway. Typically sleeping on your side can reduce your AHI.

Hope this at least helps.
-craig