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I'll attach what I think is a good Oscar report. I'm asking for amplification on the topic of RERA. I have sleep problems and an EEG showed that I had clusters of mini-awakenings. I was not aware of them and I didn't consciously awaken, but the doctor said that those mini-episodes sometimes interfere with restorative sleep.
Any ideas if RERA episodes might be a reflection of mini-awakenings? Any references to articles or postings? I doubt if there is any CPAP adjustment that wold deal with that, but it might be useful to talk with my doc about the issue.
Thanks very much.
Well your AHI is excellent, but there are a number of RERA events. In order to understand it better, we need to zoom into the respiratory flow rate so we can see the shape of the respiratory "wave". RERA occurs when flow limitation is present. Flow limitation is a restriction of the inhale and shows up as a flattened or downward sloping wave, rather than a normal rounded wave. When we breathe in, we ideally see a rapid increase in the flow rate, that reaches a peak before slowing to zero flow, where exhale begins as the chest relaxes. If there is an upper airway restriction the flow rate slows gradually, and may even become slower before the end of inspiration. This causes a flattened or downward sloping wave. If that happens over several breaths, you may not inhale as much air as you need, and your body will trigger an arousal so you breathe more volume. This is a gradually diminishing flow rate followed by higher amplitude breathing. This arousal is a RERA, and you should be able to identify it on the OSCAR graph by zooming into a 2-minute segment and looking for it.
INFORMATION ON APNEA BOARD FORUMS OR ON APNEABOARD.COM SHOULD NOT BE CONSIDERED AS MEDICAL ADVICE. ALWAYS SEEK THE ADVICE OF A PHYSICIAN BEFORE SEEKING TREATMENT FOR MEDICAL CONDITIONS, INCLUDING SLEEP APNEA. INFORMATION POSTED ON THE APNEA BOARD WEB SITE AND FORUMS ARE PERSONAL OPINION ONLY AND NOT NECESSARILY A STATEMENT OF FACT.
By definition RERAs are a series of Flow Limitations ending in arrousal.
I don't know if these are the mini-awakenings your doc is talking about. They are treatable either with increasing pressure support or raising min pressure. You can't increase pressure support so bump your min pressure up 1cmw. It will likely need more.
Gideon - Project Manager Emeritus for OSCAR - Open Source CPAP Analysis Reporter
08-15-2019, 12:08 PM (This post was last modified: 08-15-2019, 09:02 PM by DaveL.)
RE: Please tell me about RERA
Thanks for these posts....I've had a wonderful suggestion and been told to monitor RERA and change my settings on OSCAR...
Came here to learn more
edit: I've attempted to change my settings on OSCAR. I don't know how to interpret the report, and can't view the results.
DaveL
compliant for 35 years /// Still trying!
I'm just a cpap user like you. I don't give medical advice. Seek the advice of a physician before seeking treatment for medical conditions including sleep apnea.
