Hello Guest, Welcome to Apnea Board !
As a guest, you are limited to certain areas of the board and there are some features you can't use.
To post a message, you must create a free account using a valid email address.

or Create an Account


New Posts   Today's Posts

New, with questions
#11
RE: New, with questions
(06-27-2012, 08:24 AM)Droopy Wrote: If and Auto CPAP is designed to recognise and treat apnea, why does it still report apnea events? Shouldn't it just go ahead and treat them? What stops it being able to treat them all? (I'm talking mainly about obstructive events, not central events).

CPAP machines are great, but they are not perfect. Everyone's goal is an AHI of zero, but some never achieve it, and those who do achieve it do not do so every night. Doctors generally consider an AHI under 5.0 to be good enough.

It may take months of tweaking your machine and mask to optimize your therapy.
Post Reply Post Reply
#12
RE: New, with questions
(06-27-2012, 10:27 AM)JJJ Wrote:
(06-27-2012, 08:24 AM)Droopy Wrote: If and Auto CPAP is designed to recognise and treat apnea, why does it still report apnea events? Shouldn't it just go ahead and treat them? What stops it being able to treat them all? (I'm talking mainly about obstructive events, not central events).

CPAP machines are great, but they are not perfect. Everyone's goal is an AHI of zero, but some never achieve it, and those who do achieve it do not do so every night. Doctors generally consider an AHI under 5.0 to be good enough.

It may take months of tweaking your machine and mask to optimize your therapy.

This, exactly. You'll never get rid of apnea events, and odds are a much higher percentage of the population has them, to some degree. Figure anyone that snores is likely having apnea events (or at least hypopneas) but not severe enough, or often enough, to cause an issue.

The big advantage of APAP over CPAP is that the machine can adjust between a minimal pressure when you *don't* need as much support, up to where it needs to be when you really need it. And the advantage of the data recording is *exactly* that - you can prove that the therapy is actually effective. Even if you're only proving it to yourself.
Post Reply Post Reply
#13
RE: New, with questions
Hey Droopy...Too echo a bit on other posters. Probably a great portion of the population have apnea events. Many are aware of them and choose to ignore it; others are sleeping dangerously and are un-aware of apnea events happening. The possibility of a XPAP machine reducing your events to a constant (zero) is nearly impossibly. One reason is that (yes) even with your Auto machine, when an event happens it can't possibly react to it instantly. It will ramp up to the higher pressures where the event occurred, and stay there for awhile, and then when it recognizes any; and help to catch the next few (if any) but can't instantly react.
Yesterday is history; Tomorrow is a mystery; Today is a gift; Thats why its called "The Present".  
Post Reply Post Reply
#14
RE: New, with questions
Thanks to all for your responses. Looking at JudgeMental's reply:
(06-27-2012, 11:50 AM)JudgeMental Wrote: Hey Droopy...Too echo a bit on other posters. Probably a great portion of the population have apnea events. Many are aware of them and choose to ignore it; others are sleeping dangerously and are un-aware of apnea events happening. The possibility of a XPAP machine reducing your events to a constant (zero) is nearly impossibly. One reason is that (yes) even with your Auto machine, when an event happens it can't possibly react to it instantly. It will ramp up to the higher pressures where the event occurred, and stay there for awhile, and then when it recognizes any; and help to catch the next few (if any) but can't instantly react.

I guess what I'm asking is "What's the difference between an event that it does stop and one that it doesn't"

...apart from it having stopped the former, of course :-)
Post Reply Post Reply
#15
RE: New, with questions
Welcome to the Forum!!!

According to your data acquired so far, you are doing very well.

It may take time to further acclimate yourself to CPAP life. Coffee
INFORMATION ON APNEA BOARD FORUMS OR ON APNEABOARD.COM SHOULD NOT BE CONSIDERED AS MEDICAL ADVICE. ALWAYS SEEK THE ADVICE OF A PHYSICIAN BEFORE SEEKING TREATMENT FOR MEDICAL CONDITIONS, INCLUDING SLEEP APNEA. INFORMATION POSTED ON THE APNEA BOARD WEB SITE AND FORUMS ARE PERSONAL OPINION ONLY AND NOT NECESSARILY A STATEMENT OF FACT.
Post Reply Post Reply
#16
RE: New, with questions
Hi, Droopy and welcome. I agree with JudgeMental's explanation of how an APAP machine works and its shortcoming. Re: your question, I don't believe there is any difference between an event that occurs in the presence of APAP and one that occurs without a machine. An OSA event is just that in either case. The XPAP machine works to limit their overall number and frequency. Although it's not perfect in doing this job, from what I have been reading here on the board, it's definitely superior to attempts to stop apneas via surgery.
Post Reply Post Reply
#17
RE: New, with questions
(06-27-2012, 02:34 PM)Droopy Wrote: Thanks to all for your responses. Looking at JudgeMental's reply:
(06-27-2012, 11:50 AM)JudgeMental Wrote: Hey Droopy...Too echo a bit on other posters. Probably a great portion of the population have apnea events. Many are aware of them and choose to ignore it; others are sleeping dangerously and are un-aware of apnea events happening. The possibility of a XPAP machine reducing your events to a constant (zero) is nearly impossibly. One reason is that (yes) even with your Auto machine, when an event happens it can't possibly react to it instantly. It will ramp up to the higher pressures where the event occurred, and stay there for awhile, and then when it recognizes any; and help to catch the next few (if any) but can't instantly react.

I guess what I'm asking is "What's the difference between an event that it does stop and one that it doesn't"

...apart from it having stopped the former, of course :-)

Some events, like central apneas, can not be treated by your machine.
Those will be reported in the AHI. Hopefully, CA's will make up a very small number of your events. Otherwise, you pressures may be too high or you have some other CNS issue that needs to be looked at. Occasional otructive apneas, or hypopneas are probably found in normal individuals, less than 5 per hour. So if your machine can't react fast enough and treat every obstructive apnea, it shouldn't be a problem, provided you aren't having more than 5 per hour.

In other words, regardless, of the type of events, what matters is the frequency, duation, and severity of the events in terms of the hypoxemia that results. It is the hypoxemia that ultimately results in your feeling lousy. Not only does it cause you to feel lousy because you aren't getting enough oxygen, you are also not getting uninterupted, deep enough sleep to feel rested and refresed in the morning.
Post Reply Post Reply


Possibly Related Threads...
Thread Author Replies Views Last Post
  1 Month In - Some Questions rarmstrong26 4 154 Yesterday, 06:45 PM
Last Post: jcp519
  Juniper's questions juniper 12 270 03-21-2024, 07:40 AM
Last Post: juniper
  New - so many questions Matsu1 4 262 02-25-2024, 10:53 PM
Last Post: Crimson Nape
  A few questions!! Iceracer 2 307 01-19-2024, 07:53 PM
Last Post: Iceracer
  Need Help. Many Questions wkennedy 6 464 12-31-2023, 10:50 AM
Last Post: wkennedy
  My treatment fun. Questions. robbob2112 15 1,594 10-26-2023, 10:19 AM
Last Post: robbob2112
  Newbie questions - What am I seeing? lmftit 0 358 09-04-2023, 04:44 PM
Last Post: lmftit


New Posts   Today's Posts


About Apnea Board

Apnea Board is an educational web site designed to empower Sleep Apnea patients.