Too much air ?
Hi,
I am fairly new to cpap, I started in August. This is maybe a weird question and it might not have to do with cpap. I have noticed I have more gas than normal and sometimes I wake up with an upset stomach. I clean my mask daily and other items weekly. I am thinking its air that is being put into your body. Anyone else have this issue or is it something else. I know its a strange question.
Thanks
RE: Too much air ?
Not so strange at all. Many people report feeling bloated and/or burping after a night with CPAP. The fancy name for it is aerophagia - literally 'eating air'. It happens because the esophageal sphincter is not used to the pressure of the CPAP, and it lets the air past it into the stomach.
The solution is fairly straight-forward - reduce the pressure. Often it is not the peak pressure - during inspiration - but rather the average pressure, so introducing Expiratory Pressure Relief of 2 or 3 cm H2O will solve the problem. of course, reducing the maximum pressure will also eliminate the problem.
Lacking an OSCAR chart, it is hard to make specific recommendations. Comfort must be balanced with therapy, and sometimes the sphincter will get accustomed to higher pressures.
Apnea Board Monitors are members who help oversee the smooth functioning of the Board. They are also members of the Advisory Committee which helps shape Apnea Board's rules & policies. Membership in the Advisory Members group does not imply medical expertise or qualification for advising Sleep Apnea patients concerning their treatment.
RE: Too much air ?
(12-10-2022, 08:50 AM)pholynyk Wrote: Not so strange at all. Many people report feeling bloated and/or burping after a night with CPAP. The fancy name for it is aerophagia - literally 'eating air'. It happens because the esophageal sphincter is not used to the pressure of the CPAP, and it lets the air past it into the stomach.
The solution is fairly straight-forward - reduce the pressure. Often it is not the peak pressure - during inspiration - but rather the average pressure, so introducing Expiratory Pressure Relief of 2 or 3 cm H2O will solve the problem. of course, reducing the maximum pressure will also eliminate the problem.
Lacking an OSCAR chart, it is hard to make specific recommendations. Comfort must be balanced with therapy, and sometimes the sphincter will get accustomed to higher pressures.
Thank you for the info. This is good news in a way. I am not going crazy. I don't control the pressure so I will have to consult my sleep therapist. I have to geta sd card and download the oscar program still. So I can look at that.
Thanks again for the help.
RE: Too much air ?
BTB, you can download the provider / clinical manual for your Airsense 11 by following the Setup Manuals link at the top of this page. You will learn how to make changes to your CPAP settings. More to the point, your sleep therapist has NO AUTHORITY to change any settings without a doctor's order. They are there to coach you and encourage compliance, and may relay suggestions to your doctor. At Apnea Board, we strongly believe most patients can take control over their therapy and improve it, so we enable that and provide education, coaching and manuals.
RE: Too much air ?
(12-10-2022, 09:54 AM)Sleeprider Wrote: BTB, you can download the provider / clinical manual for your Airsense 11 by following the Setup Manuals link at the top of this page. You will learn how to make changes to your CPAP settings. More to the point, your sleep therapist has NO AUTHORITY to change any settings without a doctor's order. They are there to coach you and encourage compliance, and may relay suggestions to your doctor. At Apnea Board, we strongly believe most patients can take control over their therapy and improve it, so we enable that and provide education, coaching and manuals.
Hi, Thanks for the suggestion. I already have the manual. I can only change some settings. The pressures are locked and are only adjusted by the sleep therapist or sleep doctor. I guess it depends on what you call them. I might have meant to say sleep doctor.
Thanks
RE: Too much air ?
I don't think you understood us. The clinical manual tells you how to get to the hidden "secret" menu that allows access to ALL settings on your AS11. You can certainly choose to not manipulate them, but you certainly can do so. The secret handshake is to hold two fingers on the screen for about 3+ seconds.
RE: Too much air ?
(12-10-2022, 11:50 AM)Gideon Wrote: I don't think you understood us. The clinical manual tells you how to get to the hidden "secret" menu that allows access to ALL settings on your AS11. You can certainly choose to not manipulate them, but you certainly can do so. The secret handshake is to hold two fingers on the screen for about 3+ seconds.
Hi, I understand now. I sent a message to my doctor to see if they want to change and told them what I am experiencing If they don't change it I will go in and do it myself. I read the manual how to get into clinical mode.
Thanks
RE: Too much air ?
Most practices see the use of EPR as a comfort feature and allow control by the patient. Access to EPR is a setting in the clinical menus. FWIW, is is often easier to ask for forgiveness and have enjoyed the comfort of optimized settings, than to ask for permissions and deal with the problems. It is a rare person on this forum that does not control their own settings.
RE: Too much air ?
(12-11-2022, 10:53 AM)Sleeprider Wrote: Most practices see the use of EPR as a comfort feature and allow control by the patient. Access to EPR is a setting in the clinical menus. FWIW, is is often easier to ask for forgiveness and have enjoyed the comfort of optimized settings, than to ask for permissions and deal with the problems. It is a rare person on this forum that does not control their own settings.
Hi, not sure what the abbreviations stand for but I did get into how to change my pressure on the machine. I might make some changes, I just wanted to see what the doctor says. Thats why they are payed the bigbucks. Plus they know what all this means and I dont.
RE: Too much air ?
EPR stands for Expiratory Pressure Relief, which lowers the pressure during the exhale portion of your breath. This makes it easier to exhale, and, also, reduces the average pressure against that sphincter I mentioned, thus helping to reduce the air swallowing.
FWIW is For What It's Worth... in case that one was new to you 
Apnea Board Monitors are members who help oversee the smooth functioning of the Board. They are also members of the Advisory Committee which helps shape Apnea Board's rules & policies. Membership in the Advisory Members group does not imply medical expertise or qualification for advising Sleep Apnea patients concerning their treatment.
|
