Understanding your AHI Score
AHI? Apnea Hypoap-what? Reading your AHI measurement isn't exactly straight forward so here we'll break down what your Apnea-Hypopnea Index is and why it helps us direct you to the right treatment options.
When we talk about sleep apnea, we’re typically referring to the most common form which is obstructive sleep apnea (OSA). If you have OSA, you’re experiencing partial or complete obstruction of your airway, which can lead to loud snoring, choking, or gasping for air at night. But in order to know whether your snore is just a snore, or if it’s caused by sleep apnea, you’ll need to do a sleep study. One of the things a sleep study measures is your Apnea-Hypopnea Index or AHI.
How do you calculate my AHI Score?
During a sleep study, one of the things we track is how frequently your airway collapses completely (called an apnea) or partially (called a hypopnea). After the study, the GEM Sleep team counts the number of apnea and hypopnea events that were 10 seconds or longer and divides it by the number of hours you were asleep. The resulting number is your AHI score. This number is very important because it can help you and your GEM Sleep clinician gauge the severity of your sleep apnea.
What does my AHI Score mean?
AHI scores are divided into three categories: Mild, Moderate and Severe. For adults, these scores are:
- Mild: An AHI between 5 and 14 events per hour.
- Moderate: An AHI between 15 and 29 events per hour.
- Severe: An AHI of 30 events per hour or more.
How can treatment improve my AHI？
Treating sleep apnea with continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) or Dental Device therapy helps to keep the airway open, optimizing breathing and helping you to get good restful sleep. Many studies have found that using a CPAP or Dental Device during sleep can lower a patient's AHI by 70-95%. That improvement can decrease your blood pressure, lower your risk for stroke and heart attack, improve the quality of your help and help you wake up well rested with energy to take on the day!
If you are tired or exhausted do not operate a vehicle or machinery.
The information contained in this document is for educational purposes only, Sleep Apnea can only be diagnosed via a medically approved sleep study. A sleep study must be ordered and reviewed by a professional provider trained in Sleep Medicine.
GEM Sleep is focused on treatment and support of Sleep Apnea, not other sleep conditions.
When we talk about sleep apnea, we’re typically referring to the most common form which is obstructive sleep apnea (OSA). If you have OSA, you’re experiencing partial or complete obstruction of your airway, which can lead to loud snoring, choking, or gasping for air at night. But in order to know whether your snore is just a snore, or if it’s caused by sleep apnea, you’ll need to do a sleep study. One of the things a sleep study measures is your Apnea-Hypopnea Index or AHI.
How do you calculate my AHI Score?
During a sleep study, one of the things we track is how frequently your airway collapses completely (called an apnea) or partially (called a hypopnea). After the study, the GEM Sleep team counts the number of apnea and hypopnea events that were 10 seconds or longer and divides it by the number of hours you were asleep. The resulting number is your AHI score. This number is very important because it can help you and your GEM Sleep clinician gauge the severity of your sleep apnea.
What does my AHI Score mean?
AHI scores are divided into three categories: Mild, Moderate and Severe. For adults, these scores are:
- Mild: An AHI between 5 and 14 events per hour.
- Moderate: An AHI between 15 and 29 events per hour.
- Severe: An AHI of 30 events per hour or more.
How can treatment improve my AHI？
Treating sleep apnea with continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) or Dental Device therapy helps to keep the airway open, optimizing breathing and helping you to get good restful sleep. Many studies have found that using a CPAP or Dental Device during sleep can lower a patient's AHI by 70-95%. That improvement can decrease your blood pressure, lower your risk for stroke and heart attack, improve the quality of your help and help you wake up well rested with energy to take on the day!
If you are tired or exhausted do not operate a vehicle or machinery.
The information contained in this document is for educational purposes only, Sleep Apnea can only be diagnosed via a medically approved sleep study. A sleep study must be ordered and reviewed by a professional provider trained in Sleep Medicine.
GEM Sleep is focused on treatment and support of Sleep Apnea, not other sleep conditions.