Hi @WarmheartedViridianLoris0581. Snoring can occur for more than one reason, so the primary goal may be to find out why a person snores in the first place and whether the snoring might be contributed to other medical conditions. Once you know why you snore, it may be easier to prevent the snoring. An ENT physician can usually determine the cause of snoring. Thanks, and best wishes!
My 2 cents on snoring. My wife tells me I used to snore like a freight train if I slept on my back. If I rolled to my side, it was mitigated somewhat. I think that the position you sleep in may contribute to snoring if the airway is partially obstructed. Since going on a BIPAP machine, I breathe through my nose 100 percent and sleep on my back (moving creates mask leaks) and sleep like a log without snoring any. For me, the snoring was a symptom and only a problem for my poor wife.
Hi @GregariousOcherSquid6492. The myair.resmed.com support page has a great explanation of "events per hour" if you go to the page and click Support (upper-right corner). Once on the support page, you can click on MyAir Data and then MyAir Score on the submenu. Events per hour is basically the average number of events per hour that the machine counts over the course of the night. Hope this helps!
I'm considering the "Inspire Technology" treatment for my apnea. Anyone have any experience with it? Can't seem to find any input on it on this site. Figured there would be some posts but maybe I'm not searching correctly. Thanks
@DanM has offered a solution to that issue, but I'd like to add that you should check your sleep study -- if you have nothing but obstructive events that device may well be hugely helpful for you. If, however, you have a mix of centrals and obstructions, it may well NOT be so useful. Be certain to get it checked and make sure your events are all being addressed. Good luck!
Hello, @BraveMaroonHeron5065. If you go to the main Forum page and search "Inspire" using the search box in the upper-right corner, all topics that mention Inspire therapy will be listed.
There is also a research article posted here: https://myapnea.org/blog/new-frontiers-in-the-treatment-of-sleep-apnea-unilateral-hypoglossal-nerve-stimulation
Hope this helps!
I would like to learn about how to understand my sleep study and more about central sleep apnea. I was diagnosed with severe obstructive sleep apnea but my sleep study document says total arousals: 77 total arousal index: 29.2 total AHI: 30.8 total apnea: 3 total hypopnea: 78 total obstructive: - total central: 3 total RERAS: 3 total RDI: 31.9
Hi @ModestIvoryHedgehog2007. The totals (arousals=77, apnea=3, etc.) are the total number of each type of event during sleep. The index is the average across the amount of time you slept. For example, if you had a total of 30 arousals in 6 hours of sleep, your arousal index would be 5 arousals per hour. Your AHI is the average of all types of apneas and hypopneas that were present during your total sleep time. The RDI includes the apneas, hyopneas and RERAS (which are Respiratory Effort-Related Arousals). There are published guidelines that sleep technologists and physicians use to determine how each event type in a sleep study should be classified. Our "Learn" page has information on the different types of sleep apnea, including Central Sleep Apnea. You can view this information by clicking "Learn" at the top of the page and scrolling about halfway down. I hope this helps!
Your insurance likely paid a ton of money for the sleep study and there was likely a sleep tech who administrated it while you slept and that was likely the last you saw of anyone from that practice. The results were sent to your primary care physician who you should make an appointment with and go over the results.
While your sleep is obviously not deep and likely are tired and groggy during the day, that is only one issue that can be resolved or at least eased with the proper therapy. The other is that you quit breathing about 30 times per hour for a long period. Your blood oxygen went down to a dangerous level and your brain and other organs need this fixed ASAP.
My AHI was 26 and my O2 level went down to low 70s for extended periods. I THOUGHT I was sleeping OK but in reality I was suffocating. That was bad BUT the results of your study also came with a prescription I suspect. Mine was a BIPAP machine with very high pressures as this is one of things they check so the pressure can be regulated to the point where your airway doesn't close up and the AHI events are controlled. Talk to your doc about getting this therapy going. If the PCP doesn't seem up on these things, self educate by reading (ton of info out there) and call the sleep study place and make an appointment with that doctor who signed off on the study. Make sure you understand where you are and once you do, you are on the road to better health. Good luck and don't hesitate to ask questions. I have been on therapy for almost 6 months and have learned a BUNCH that has made the therapy far more effective and have had wonderful help here. Beware of other sources; some may be good, some bad as folks like to give opinions on things for which they should should let the doctor give advice. I am just an amateur but there are folks here who are solid and educated on these things.
Dan, I am in the process (had a home sleep study) and will be having a follow-up lab sleep study soon, and obtaining a mask.
I have Sjogren's Syndrome. I don't know how familiar you are with Sjogren's (pronounced SHO-GRINS). It is an autoimmune condition that greatly affects the moisture-producing glands in the body.
Sjogren's patients have severely dry eyes, nose & mouth, etc. I have read that a CPAP Mask offers continuous air flow & can therefore, dry out a person's mouth. This would be horrible for Sjogren's sufferers. I was told that a Bi-Pap mask would likely be the better choice.
Also, I spoke to one woman (a Sjogren's patient) who mentioned that she had a mask that (perhaps the seal was improper) allowed air flow to dry out her eyes.
Personally, (since I am in research mode), I would like to see information that addresses mask considerations for the Sjogren's patient (and/or others with severe dryness issues) that could be impacted by mask choice.
It would be nice to see inclusion of such information on your site.
Thanks so much. Sandy Burkett Sjogren's Syndrome Patient/Support Group Leader & Ambassador for the Sjogren's Syndrome Foundation
Hi Sandy (@CompassionateChampagneGuineaPig2367). Thank you for sharing your story here on the MyApnea.Org Forum! Feel free to create a new topic area on the Forum that may attract others who either have Sjogren's Syndrome or who may have helpful information to post.
CPAP and BiPAP masks are the same, meaning the same masks are used for both types of treatment. It is only the treatment mode on the actual equipment that is different. The important thing with the mask for any patient is to make sure you find one that fits as comfortably as possible to provide maximum benefit with as little leak as possible. A mask with proper fit should not leak air into the eyes. Whether a patient uses a nasal mask, a nasal pillow, or a full face mask (covering both the nose and mouth) will depend on how they breath and how well they tolerate a particular mask type. For patients who breath through their mouth, a nasal mask may contribute to mouth dryness because air is pushed into the nose and then is exhaled through the open mouth. Those patients often find a full face mask to be the better option because humidified air can enter through either the nose or the mouth. The air pressure can create dryness, so a humidifier either built into or attached to the machine is important. Some patients with severe dryness also find that adding a room humidifier and/or other products (mouth washes, nasal sprays/creams, etc.) helps lessen dryness.
I hope this helps! We hope to develop more educational materials in the future, and I will keep your post in mind!
Dan
IVR223 The info I receive is through the company that made my BIPAP machine; Resmed. It has a little card of some sort in it that records data and when I turn off the air in the AM, I leave the machine plugged in. It connects with the internet is some way and has bars on it just like my cell phone. After about an hour or so, the results go to RESMED and then I can log into Resmed's patient site and look at the results; I get an overall score (last night was 73 out of 100 (possible points). I had 6.18 usage hours for 63 points of a possible 70 (this is a bit better than average for me; especially during the NBA playoffs),
Adjust mask seal I got ZERO out of a possible 20 points. This is fairly normal for me... once in awhile a get a couple of points here but not often. I had .3 AHI events per hour and 5 of 5 possible points, For MASK ON AND OFF I got 5 of 5 points as it didn't come off (they consider this one mask on/off and that is on when you go to sleep and off in the morning I guess).
This info is pretty decent sum of how I slept and how effective treatment is. I also have a pulse oximeter and measure my oxygen levels once in awhile. During my sleep study they were down into the low 70s for longish periods. This is dangerous and obviously gave me brain damage (joke!). When using the BIPAP, they average 96-97 and never drop lower than the 90s. The O2 monitor also monitors pulse (not sure why that would be of use) and records data all night which I can download onto my PC and look at in a variety of ways. Got it on eBay for under $100 and it makes me feel good to know I am not loosing any more brain cells.... don't have many left to spare I guess!
Well, one sleep doctor told me that adjusting to CPAP is kind of like peeling the layers of an onion; first you have to solve your biggest CPAP problem, then your next biggest problem, then the next biggest, and so on, until you reach the point when you can successfully sleep with it. CPAP can create many different situations that can be difficult to sleep through, such as uncomfortable masks, air leaks, noises, getting too hot, drying you out, pushing into the stomach, tubing management issues, etc. Some people are able to sleep with CPAP the first time they ever try it, but this is unusual and is more likely for someone who tends to be a very sound sleeper and who can sleep through significant disturbances, not for a light sleeper like me. I have found solutions that work for me for many of the challenges of CPAP, but not all of them yet. I have tried several different types of masks, made some helpful modifications to my current mask, and I have developed understanding of how to use the machine's settings. It feels I have become a bit of a CPAP engineer! At first I could not even fall asleep with the CPAP on, but with more time and effort I developed that ability, but would wake up immediately. Then I figured out what was causing me to wake up and solved that problem, followed by several others. Just a few days ago, I achieved another breakthrough which has enabled me to stay asleep for 4-5 hours with the CPAP on, but I still wake up after that and cannot go back to sleep. I think I may have experienced a hint of therapeutic benefit from the CPAP the past few nights, but it's still too early to say for sure without having ever experienced a full night of sleep with it.
SOLUTIONS FOR SLEEP APNEA & SNORING ASU has 2 oral appliances. The ASU Tray for snoring and the dual lock telescoping tray for sleep apnea. apnea-mouthpiece FDA Cleared for Sleep Apnea ASU’s sleep apnea oral appliance uses the dual lock and telescoping arm to sustain the bottom jaw forward to eliminate or reduce sleep apnea and snoring.snoring-mouthpiece ....
is this a possibility????? does anyone know anything about this device??????
Hi @mary. I do not know anything about this specific device, but there are many oral devices on the market used to treat sleep apnea. The most important thing when exploring these kinds of devices is to work with a dentist who can do a complete evaluation and who can follow your progress to make sure the device is working for you and is not causing any other problems. The American Academy of Dental Sleep Medicine's patient page is a good place to start if you want to find a dentist or learn about oral appliance therapy. The link is http://www.aadsm.org/PatientResources.aspx Best wishes!
Hello @RationalBurgundyAlbatross1697. I have not run my unit on a battery, but ResMed provides a page that has various links that include power requirements for their equipment here: http://www.resmed.com/us/en/consumer/support/treatment-and-maintenance/traveling-with-your-equipment.html. Hope this helps!
