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Newbie with numbers question
#1
Newbie with numbers question
Hello...
I've been on my CPAP now for two weeks. Morning headaches and nausea seems to have improved.

I was looking over the results from my initial two sleep tests. First one was with the monitors hooked up. The second was with a CPAP machine.

Can any of you "numbers" folks please have a look and tell me what some of these stats mean? If I'm reading them right, it sounds like (according the numbers anyway) I only have a mild sleep apnea. Can a person be diagnosed as only having it mildly yet feel REALLY crappy physically from it?

Here are the numbers from the first night's test with the monitors:
Total Time Recorded: 8.49 hrs.
AHI (RDI): 14.0
Total Hypopneas: 120
Total Apenic Events: 18
Average SaO2 (%): 93
Lowest SaO2 (%): 82
O2 sats < 90% for 3% of test.

Here are the numbers from the second night's test with the CPAP:
Total Time Recorded: 10.18 hrs.
Corrected AHI: 8.8
Median CPAP level: 6
95th percentile CPAP level: 10
Highest CPAP level: 13

I can't get in touch with my Dr to find out what these mean because she is on vacation. When I initially talked to her she just sort of said "yep you have it, here's your mask, and in about 4 weeks your machine will arrive in the mail".
I'm one of those people who likes to know the why, when and how of things, which she sort of skipped over. Guess they don't have a lot of time to spend with every patient. (Kaiser).

Oh BTW I ordered and tried out the Remzzz mask liner which has helped a lot with the leaking and overall comfort of the mask. Thank you for that suggestion.

Thanks
Kim
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#2
RE: Newbie with numbers question
Greetings Kim,

I am not a numbers person: but I DO know how much a person can be affected by the what I call "micro-wakings" (sounds better to non sleep apneacs than micro arousals, Grin!).

The Total Hypopneas is Not Good, neither is the Lowest SaO2 (%) of 82.

Remember that each and every time the O2 is low, and every time the breathing does not occur when it should it disturbs ones sleep and can keep one from having good, or ANY, REM sleep. Without REM sleep the body CANNOT restore itself and function properly during the day.

I have been reading an article out of SLEEP journal (SLEEP, Vol. 29, No. 2, 2006, "Sleep Loss and Pain Roehrs et al) that "pharmacologic treatments and clinical conditions that reduce sleep and REM sleep time may increase pain."

PM me if you want the link to the article.
Evpraxia in the Pacific Northwest USA
Diagnosed: 44 AHI when supine, O2 down to 82%
Treated since 20 Sept 2014:: 0.7 AHI, Settings 7-15, EPR on Full Time at Level 3
Better living through CPAP/APAP machines!
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#3
RE: Newbie with numbers question
Harleygirl, you are correct, the 120 divided by 8.49 hours = 14 Hypopneas per hour and 5-15 = Mild Sleep Apnea.

The second set of results can be skewed as they are adjusting your pressures during the night to work out the correct pressure for your CPAP.

The reason you feel REALLY crappy even with mild sleep apnea, is that you stopped breathing during that 8.49 hours 120 times for 10 sec or more.
When we stop breathing our bodies go into fight or flight mode, our blood rushed from our extremities to our vital organs, being our heart and brain and we basically wake up every one of those times either conciously or sub conciously, that's why you feel REALLY crappy the next day on top of that you not getting enough blood and oxygen that you body requires.

I think I was the one that suggested the Remzzzzs, try making them yourself it is a lot cheaper, also I think I suggested a hose lift, give that a try.
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#4
RE: Newbie with numbers question
(09-25-2014, 09:04 PM)harleygirl Wrote: Can a person be diagnosed as only having it mildly yet feel REALLY crappy physically from it?

Yes. The categories of mild, moderate, and severe are used to do clinical research. They are relevant when considering large groups of people, not necessarily any one individual.
Sleepster

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.
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#5
RE: Newbie with numbers question
You get over 10 hours of sleep a night??? Huhsign I jealous; I usually sleep about 6 hours a night! Eat-popcorn
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.
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#6
RE: Newbie with numbers question
Tez62 basically explained it -- you are positive for (mild) sleep apnea.

However, don't let the word 'mild' fool you -- some people feel REALLY AWFUL with 'only' mild apnea while some with (very) severe apnea (such as myself) may not FEEL bad much at all.

However, it is almost certainly adversely affecting the health of everyone who has it.

Sweet Dreams,

HerbM
Sleep study AHI: 49 RDI: 60 -- APAP 10-11 w/AHI: 1.5 avg for 7-days (up due likely to hip replacement recovery)

"We can all breathe together or we will all suffocate alone."
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#7
RE: Newbie with numbers question
My wife would say that having "mild sleep apnea" is sorta like being a "little bit pregnant". You've still got it.
If everyone thinks alike, then someone isn't thinking.
Everyone knows something, together we could know everything.
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#8
RE: Newbie with numbers question
Quote:Total Time Recorded: 8.49 hrs.
AHI (RDI): 14.0
Total Hypopneas: 120
Total Apenic Events: 18
Average SaO2 (%): 93
Lowest SaO2 (%): 82
O2 sats < 90% for 3% of test.

Total time is how long you were hooked up, not necessarily how long you were asleep. Unless it specifies that's what it means.

AHI / RDI - is the Holy Rule of Thumb used to determine diagnosis. I really wish they'd come up with some other method. For one, there's "mild" which makes folks think it's not that bad. Then anything over 35 is considered "severe". So many of us come home with our numbers of 60something or much higher, see we are over twice what they consider severe, and think we are on the brink of death. Anyway, AHI is the apnea events (obstructive + central) + hypopneas / number of hours slept.

Hypopneas are when the airway is being decreased but hasn't closed yet. Or we are breathing shallow. These can be just as bad as obstructive events and can happen more often. You had a ton of them.

Total Apneaic events is 18 which means, I assume, that for the time you slept, you only had 18 total obstructive and/or central events.

SaO2 is your blood oxygen rate. While we sleep, it naturally drops and 92% is acceptable. For healthy adults with no other lung issues, anything above 90% is good. Your lowest got to 82% and for the entire night, you were only below 90 for 3% of the time. That's VERY good. My bet is your lowest numbers happened during those 18 apnea events.


Quote:Here are the numbers from the second night's test with the CPAP:
Total Time Recorded: 10.18 hrs.
Corrected AHI: 8.8
Median CPAP level: 6
95th percentile CPAP level: 10
Highest CPAP level: 13

What this means is they probably used an autoPAP during the test. Using it, it went as high as 13, stayed the most at 10, and hung out at 6 a lot. Your AHI that night was 8.8, much better than what it was during the sleep test. More than likely, you'll get (or should firmly request) an autoPAP and it will be set to roughly those numbers. Probably 6 - 13, if the doctor is smart. If not, it will be set to "wide open" at 4 - 20.

With your hypopnea numbers, you really do not want to settle for a non-data capable machine. You want to make sure those are being treated correctly. A regular CPAP that is data capable will do just fine since you can see the data and, after a while of watching the data, make changes if necessary.

Meanwhile, some stuff for you to read:
Acronyms/abbreviations:
http://www.apneaboard.com/wiki/index.php?title=Acronyms
Glossary:
http://www.apneaboard.com/wiki/index.php...efinitions
Machine choices:
http://www.apneaboard.com/wiki/index.php...ne_Choices
PaulaO

Take a deep breath and count to zen.




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