Question about shape of exhalation part of waveform

[green wings]

I have just started looking at my breath waveforms this week and comparing them to the images in RobySue's Wiki.

I noticed that my breath waveforms, even while I'm awake, don't look like the "normal" waveform in the chart in the Wiki.

In my graph, the exhalations start off normal but then they flatten out. I was awake during this time.

I just wanted to get opinions about what this means, if anything.

This chart is at 9.0 cm pressure. I am running my CPAP in Auto trial mode. I have the "C-Flex" exhalation relief set at 1.

Thanks!

[palerider]

I just wanted to get opinions about what this means, if anything.

it means that awake breathing is very irregular and variable. and totally irrelevant to anything to do with cpap.

[vsheline]

Hi green wings,

I don't see any reason for concern.

Your inhalations (he positive portions of the Flow waveform) look very slightly Flow Limited to me, but if you were still awake I'm not sure this has any significance.

Your exhales (negative portions) look more gradual than usual, linearly decreasing in Flow until the end of exhalation, but perhaps that has no significance, either.

During the APAP trial, what is the pressure range set to?

Can you show the Presure or Mask Pressure chart, so we can see whether the machine is ever adjusting the pressure?

Take care,
--- Vaughn

Added:

Actually, I think your Flow waveform looks a lot like the "normal" waveform shown here:
http://www.apneaboard.com/wiki/index.php...imitations

[green wings]

Wow, you're right - it does look like the normal waveform. When I was comparing the two initially, I could have sworn that normal waveform in the Wiki looked more like a sine wave. Geez.

You know, I knew that I had developed tons of memory and other problems during the three years prior to being diagnosed with obstructive sleep apnea, but looking at this SleepyHead data often points out to me just how bad it is at times (my perceptions and memory).

I had been thinking it was all to do with getting older. Now I have been hoping that some of it will improve over time with using xPAP therapy.

My pressure was constant at 9.0 cm during the period I showed. Sorry for not including that graph. I have the pressure set at 9.0-15.0. I don't get a mask pressure chart with the data from my machine, just one pressure graph. The pressure didn't respond in the period I showed on the graph. I also looked back to a couple of months ago when I was running straight CPAP at 7.0 cm and my awake breathing looked the same.

Thanks for taking the time to look at the graph.

Hi green wings,

I don't see any reason for concern.

Your inhalations (he positive portions of the Flow waveform) look very slightly Flow Limited to me, but if you were still awake I'm not sure this has any significance.

Your exhales (negative portions) look more gradual than usual, linearly decreasing in Flow until the end of exhalation, but perhaps that has no significance, either.

During the APAP trial, what is the pressure range set to?

Can you show the Presure or Mask Pressure chart, so we can see whether the machine is ever adjusting the pressure?

Take care,
--- Vaughn

Added:

Actually, I think your Flow waveform looks a lot like the "normal" waveform shown here:
http://www.apneaboard.com/wiki/index.php...imitations

---

Thanks, palerider.

I just wanted to get opinions about what this means, if anything.

it means that awake breathing is very irregular and variable. and totally irrelevant to anything to do with cpap.

[archangle]

Even when you're asleep, and not having any "problems," the airflow waveform shape is a lot more varied than we tend to think it would be.