12-14-2017, 09:44 AM
My Theories on UARS (Updated)
This is an update to a prior thread post regarding UARS treatment with low pressure
The original post can be found here: http://www.apneaboard.com/forums/Thread-...y-syndrome
What prompted my original thread was when I noticed that I lowered my CPAP pressure from upwards of 15 down to just 5 and did not see any difference in my AHI. The result of lower pressure provided my with better sleep as the high pressure just woke me up, hurt my ears, and bloated my stomach. However, I was not satisfied with my AHI which stayed around 5-6 and still caused me waking multiple times during the night.
So, how do we address that.
As many have mentioned on this board, I gave a go at wearing a cervical collar when sleeping. The purpose is to keep you chin in an upward position thus opening up the back of your throat. Anyone who has ever practiced CPR will understand this theory. I found the soft collar to be comfortable and in no way made sleeping any more difficult. The result was a 50% decrease in my apnea. I did not just measure one night, but alternated every night for a week and the result was always the same. Now my AHI is around 3.
This success of the C-collar explains why people with UARS often get as good a result from low pressure as from high. My UARS (like most others) is caused not by fatty tissue or a weak tongue muscle, but by a narrowed throat. So when your chin drops at night or you lean you head forward, your throat (which was already narrower than normal) closes up and chokes your breathing. An APAP will sense this obstruction and begin upping the pressure to open the airway. However, since the obstruction is not caused so much by relaxed muscles, but a structural decrease in the throat opening, the added pressure cannot open the airway. Thus you don't see any improvement from high pressure.
Now the fun part. Since I have found a way to keep my throat open, it is time to find the best possible pressure. So I began my own home titration study. Simple started with a max pressure of 5.0 and every night I would increase the pressure by 0.2. I would record the data each morning. This went on for about a month. The AHI dropped dramatically at around 8.4. I now have my machine set at max pressure of 8.6 where my AHI is continually around 0.5-0.9. I am sleeping now for the first time in a long time.
I have written this post and my prior post to not only provide some of my insights to the mysterious UARS condition, but to also encourage everyone to take matters in their own hands when dealing with this problem so that you can successfully treat it.
Best wishes and may God Bless you all.
--Fit
The original post can be found here: http://www.apneaboard.com/forums/Thread-...y-syndrome
What prompted my original thread was when I noticed that I lowered my CPAP pressure from upwards of 15 down to just 5 and did not see any difference in my AHI. The result of lower pressure provided my with better sleep as the high pressure just woke me up, hurt my ears, and bloated my stomach. However, I was not satisfied with my AHI which stayed around 5-6 and still caused me waking multiple times during the night.
So, how do we address that.
As many have mentioned on this board, I gave a go at wearing a cervical collar when sleeping. The purpose is to keep you chin in an upward position thus opening up the back of your throat. Anyone who has ever practiced CPR will understand this theory. I found the soft collar to be comfortable and in no way made sleeping any more difficult. The result was a 50% decrease in my apnea. I did not just measure one night, but alternated every night for a week and the result was always the same. Now my AHI is around 3.
This success of the C-collar explains why people with UARS often get as good a result from low pressure as from high. My UARS (like most others) is caused not by fatty tissue or a weak tongue muscle, but by a narrowed throat. So when your chin drops at night or you lean you head forward, your throat (which was already narrower than normal) closes up and chokes your breathing. An APAP will sense this obstruction and begin upping the pressure to open the airway. However, since the obstruction is not caused so much by relaxed muscles, but a structural decrease in the throat opening, the added pressure cannot open the airway. Thus you don't see any improvement from high pressure.
Now the fun part. Since I have found a way to keep my throat open, it is time to find the best possible pressure. So I began my own home titration study. Simple started with a max pressure of 5.0 and every night I would increase the pressure by 0.2. I would record the data each morning. This went on for about a month. The AHI dropped dramatically at around 8.4. I now have my machine set at max pressure of 8.6 where my AHI is continually around 0.5-0.9. I am sleeping now for the first time in a long time.
I have written this post and my prior post to not only provide some of my insights to the mysterious UARS condition, but to also encourage everyone to take matters in their own hands when dealing with this problem so that you can successfully treat it.
Best wishes and may God Bless you all.
--Fit
