Stuffy Nose - Flow Limitation?

[mark.apnea]

I'm curious.  Lately my numbers have been a steadily increasing from <2 to >5.  I've seen a rash of small flow limitations as well as H events in my Oscar data...more than typical for me. 

I was thinking it was a positional issue (based on responses here).  I am a full-time side sleeper and generally a mouth breather, but I have been practicing keeping my mouth closed and breathing thru my nose.  Results had been pretty good.  I use a full face hybrid mask (evora).

This ~week I've woken with terrible cotton mouth and a stuffy nose. Mainly one nostril is impinged a bit, but not fully.  When I sleep on the side opposite the stuffy nostril, I think my pillow may be partially blocking shut the clear nostril...forcing mouth breathing to accommodate.

Can a stuffy nose register as flow limitations and H events?

[PeaceLoveAndPizza]

Interesting question!

Can a stuffy nose register as flow limitations? Yes. Anything that impedes the air flow would do so. I have similar issues with allergies and if I am nose-breathing I get more FL's than if I am mouth breathing.

Will a stuffy nose impact hypopnoeas? I have not thought about that before, but it seems possible. 

Obstructive: cessation of breathing for >= 10 seconds due to airway collapse
Apnea: 80% to 100% reduction in airflow for >= 10 seconds
Hypopnea: 50% to 80% reduction in airflow for >= 10 seconds
Flow Limitation: <50% reduction in airflow for >= 10 seconds

If you are nose-breathing and you have an airflow reduction of < 50% for >= 10 seconds, then it would trigger the FL counter. If you start mouth-breathing the airflow would not be as restricted, so the FL counter would not trigger. Note that you can have flow limitations of > 50% but less than 10 seconds, so the counter would not trigger but you can see the FL's in the flow rate graph.

[G. Szabo]

I am having the same issue, which I mitigate by:

TURBINE Nasal Dilator from RHINOMED to use instead of Nasal Strips

HylaMist nasal spray against nasal congestion

[radarrab]

I tried those Rhinomed nasal dilators since one side is more narrow. It's been a long time, but it seems like to get it far enough in so not in the way of the pillows (and I think where they were supposed to go, if I recall), the small was still too large and made my nose sore after a while. Another brand I tried didn't stay in place that well. I was hoping that those would also aid the narrow side and allow me to not huff and puff as much when hiking uphill/faster than usual. If I'm hiking enough to raise my heart rate, I end up having to mouth breathe also.

I might have to try that Hylamist (this having to use a CPAP is even more trouble with allergies/post-nasal drip--nasal rinse two times a day (basically like a water-pik neti pot) and various other things.)