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Howdy. I was looking for a quick general opinon while I'm learning up on Sp02 rates. I had an O2Ring arrive in the mail yesterday. I haven't seen any pulse oximeter data since my original sleep study that was maybe around 12 years ago.
Last night my AHI (3.17) and sleep were a bit worse than normal. I haven't read up much on Sp02 rates during sleep, but it looks like during sleep 90 & up are "OK"? I'd assume from the data that I'm not doing great, but not so bad either (as I seemed to stay above 90% an overwhelming majority of the night)?
Maybe it's normal to (say) drop down to an 88% SpO2 rate right after an OA event anyway, for example?
Machine: Needing iVAPS but QUACKS refusing to help but they love testing Mask Type: Not using mask Mask Make & Model: F&P Vitera on shelf Humidifier: None/nada CPAP Pressure: 0-0 pressure set CPAP Software: Not using software
Other Comments: SCS PVC K9D** Untreated CA Asthma Dr. Donothings
I believe the mid 90% and up is better, but look at the SpO2 chart itself. Yours has a few sharp downward spikes at or below 89%. As these are brief, it's not a serious issue. If these drops were longer in duration, then the seriousness increases. If you had a decrease to 88% during a 6 minute period, supplemental oxygen would be strongly considered, this doesn't apply to you in this chart.
INFORMATION ON APNEA BOARD FORUMS OR ON APNEABOARD.COM SHOULD NOT BE CONSIDERED MEDICAL ADVICE. ALWAYS SEEK THE ADVICE OF A PHYSICIAN BEFORE SEEKING TREATMENT FOR MEDICAL CONDITIONS, INCLUDING SLEEP APNEA. INFORMATION POSTED ON THE APNEA BOARD WEBSITE AND FORUMS ARE PERSONAL OPINION ONLY AND NOT NECESSARILY A STATEMENT OF FACT.
Thank you very much. I guess anything above needing supplemental oxygen is a great thing. I'll take it.
I probably should have mentioned, there were maybe 3 times, in the 7 hours before bed last night, where I may have inhaled a lot of something Bill Clinton claimed he never inhaled. Sometimes that substances causes a lot of throat irritation and stuffiness with me. After this weekend, I'll be on a normal 1 to 3 month break from that substance (I on-off cycle just to take breaks for tolerance build ups, and get a lot of stuff accomplished in the off times).
Oddly, it's just that, bad eating and low exercise for me. I never had much of a taste for alcohol or anything else.
OK, it looks like multiple source in general say that during sleep, oxygen therapy is recommended if your SpO2 level drops below 89% for 5 full minutes or more. It appears I'm a decent amount over that threshold w/ only a couple of dips last night that got below 89%, and only for a 1 to 2 second period.
Awesome, I'll take it. No new bad news is good news to me right now. I've been on a month long bender of worse than normal sleep for some reason (COVID trapped at home weight gains and extra bad eating I assume right now). And, I've got a bad issue w/ consuming too much sugar, and too much caffeine too close to bed time. I'm trying to improve those issues now.
Those dips, or artifacts, are usually caused by bumping the sensor. It would be very unusual for that rapid of a drop to normally occur. You need to be concerned on the overall graph. More of looking at trends than a specific point in time. Your minimum baseline appears to be around 94%. The Wellue/Viatom series of oximeters take a reading every second, but only record a value every 4-seconds. The jury is still out if this is an average of the 4 previous readings or the actual point at that time.
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.
10-20-2021, 08:06 AM (This post was last modified: 10-20-2021, 08:11 AM by MoreBeers.
Edit Reason: Clarity
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RE: Oximiter Sp02 Check
One thing to also watch if using a Viatom, is to see what effect this is having upon your heart.
That is basically one of the key things that CPAP is trying to address, so the AHI and even O2 Level, is not quite showing you the whole picture.
I have not yet tried to upload any Oximetry Data to OSCAR, so don't know if the Heart Rate Data can be imported.
If it can, great, just re-jig the Graphs so that is next to the O2 so you can cross check the actual impact of an O2 drop.
Mine was dramatically severe before I worked out it was Sleep Apnoea, so I was close to death in effect, with huge Cardiac Stress that was causing Atrial Flutter and Atrial Fibrillation. Basically, that's what suffocation does, as your heart thrashes itself to bits trying to pump poorly oxygenated blood around that the heart itself needs as fuel to do the pumping!
That's also what kills you when Sleep Apnoea is not controlled, because that mis-firing of the heart can lead to Strokes and Cardiac Arrest if it gets out of hand.
Sleep Apnoea is a killer, and I am absolutely sure is what killed my late father, when this was not understood. He would snore for England, sleep standing up, and nod off at even the most prestigious Dinner events. All amusing, but it was all linked to Sleep Apnoea, and that led to Strokes, and the largest polished him off.
With the benefit of hindsight, that was avoidable.
I nearly went the same way in 2019-2020, but managed to work out what was happening, and did so via a Viatom CheckMe O2 unit, which then led me to CPAP as the solution. It then took a few Months to get it all under control, then it's been well under control now for maybe a year, albeit I have to keep everything spot on to avoid it happening. I need a more powerful CPAP, and will argue for that when I can next grab an NHS specialist. But a ResMed S10 AirSense AutoSet just about does it but with no pressure margin.
The point is, look carefully at your heart, and look at what that is doing. You may see direct effects like an O2 Drop that triggers a spike in your pulse and a response by your CPAP Machine to a breathing issue. That is then almost certainly a genuine O2 drop, and not, say, movement that knocks the Sensor. So cross-checking all three is key, namely what the CPAP does, what your O2 does, and what, crucially, your heart does.
