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Your last sentence ("Using higher than require treatment pressure can cause CA events to go up.") catches my attention. Originally (years ago), the pressure on my machine was set relatively low (5), and my AHI readings were frequently high (over 10). I reset the pressure myself to double the amount and got the AHI to fall consistently to below 5 (but NEVER to as low as your average 0.82). More recently, however, I'm experiencing numerous nights of AHI at 10 or more (e.g., 17.8), driven by some alarmingly big total clear airway apneas (e.g., 78, or 97). On the other hand, my best AHI nights have occurred last week (1.8), when total clear airway apneas have been only 3 or 7 (with total obstructive apneas only 5 and 2). I'm happy when AHI is averaging 5 or below, but concerned when I have more nights with AHI above 5, and trying to explain why -- hence the attention to the total clear airway apneas number.
Do you think the higher pressure setting is causing the high total clear airway apneas number (when I'm falling asleep or waking up but staying in bed) ? (I have the sense that my better AHI nights occur when I fall asleep quickly and/or get out of bed immediately upon waking up.)
Frequently, my AHI readings report low total obstructive apneas but high to very high total clear airway apneas, resulting in a higher than 5 AHI.
I believe that my CPAP machine is just reading irregular breathing when I am awake with the machine on (e.g., before I fall asleep or when I awake in the morning but before I get up) as a clear airway apnea, thus artificially inflating my AHI (which seems to be the sum of total clear airway apneas, total obstructive apneas, and total hypopneas divided by the number of hours of sleep).
Is there any other explanation for high total clear airway apneas with low total obstructive apneas ? How does a CPAP machine measure (decide to record) a clear airway apnea ?
