Breathing Machines for Sleep Apnea
Sleep apnea is a dangerous medical problem in which sufferers stop breathing while asleep, which causes sleep interruption. In addition, it causes the person to be more susceptible to other medical issues such as hypertension, heart attack, stroke, diabetes, weight gain and more. It also causes problems with sleeping partners, since someone with sleep apnea usually has very loud snoring problems.
Treating Sleep Apnea
Sleep apnea victims will normally be prescribed a breathing machine for sleep apnea called a CPAP machine. This stands for continuous positive airway pressure. The breathing machine for sleep apnea continuously blows air into the sleeping person’s lungs so that their airway doesn’t collapse and cause them to stop breathing. It is noninvasive and is approved by the Food and Drug Administration.
In order to get a breathing machine for sleep apnea you will need a prescription. However, if you have health insurance, then the cost is normally covered. A CPAP machine is usually fairly small, about the size of a shoebox. It is made up of three parts: the breathing machine, a nose or full face mask, and flexible tubing to connect the mask to the machine.
Using a CPAP Machine
The first breathing machine for sleep apnea was invented during the 1980s. They have come a long way since that time and are now available in several different styles, sizes, and types. It all depends on the type of sleep apnea the person has and what type of treatment best serves their needs. The newer models are also much quieter than the older, bulkier machines in the past.
Despite the fact that a breather machine for sleep apnea is vital to the health of the user, statistics show that about half the patients prescribed to use on stop after only a short period of time. This is usually due to the fact that it can be awkward or uncomfortable to wear the device.It may normally take several days or longer for someone to get used to wearing a CPAP device, so newcomers to it should be advised to not give up wearing it in the first day or two of treatment.
In order to get these levels up, there are now many kinds of CPAP machine accessories to help make using the machine more comfortable. These include special pillows to cushion the tubing and mask, cloth covering for the tubing, many styles of headbands to hold the mask, devices to hold the tubing next to the bed, and more.
Other Types of Breathing Machines for Sleep Apnea
Besides the CPAP machine, there is two other type of breathing machines for sleep apnea: Bi-Level and Auto Pap.
Bi-Level –This is also called a VPAP machine. It is for those patients that need one level of air pressure for breathing in and a different setting for breathing out. This type of machine automatically changes back and forth.This type of breathing machine for sleep apnea is usually prescribed for someone with central sleep apnea. It can also be set up so that if the wearer stops breathing, it will automatically turn on after a certain amount of seconds.
Auto PAP – This is a new kind of breathing machine for sleep apnea. It is capable of automatically adjusting the machine to provide various air pressures depending on the breathing patterns of the user. This type of a breathing machine for sleep apnea can run either in auto mode or regular CPAP mode. It has special software installed in it that helps to run it when the patient needs it most, plus, it is usually prescribed for Obstructive Sleep Apnea.
Advantages of Breathing Machine for Sleep Apnea
There are many advantages to using one of the three types of breathing machines for sleep apnea. Of course, the obvious is to reduce the wearer’s risks for problems such as heart attack, stroke, hypertension and weight gain.
In addition, the person wearing it should be much less tired upon waking up from sleep, thus will have less of a risk of falling asleep while performing daily tasks such as driving or operating machinery.
They will also have a better memory and likely will be in a better mood since they will not be tired all of the time. Also, if you have sleep apnea you will be at a greater risk during surgery if the doctors are unaware of your condition since you could stop breathing during the procedure.
Disadvantages of Breathing Machine for Sleep Apnea
Even so, there are a few disadvantages you may face when wearing a breathing machine for sleep apnea. Some users experience issues such as nasal congestion, runny nose, dry eyes or mouth, skin irritation, chest discomfort, or headaches.
However, many of these problems can be solved by wearing the right type and size of mask, as well as using saline nose drops, or some sort of skin moisturizer. Plus, using nasal pillows instead of a mask helps some people, which are soft attachments that go directly into the nostrils instead of wearing a mask.
Some types of breathing machines for sleep apnea also are fitted with a humidifier to help keep a person’s throat and nose from getting too dry. If the noise of the machine bothers users, one solution is to also turn a fan on in the room to provide a low level noise that will block out the breathing machine noises.
To be certain a breathing machine for sleep apnea is working correctly, users should also always double check for any leaking air. If the seal is worn out or not adjusted properly, the mask will leak and you won’t get all the benefits of the breathing machine for sleep apnea.
The bottom line is that sleep apnea is a dangerous, but very treatable problem that affects thousands of people all over the world. If you are having problems with snoring, being tired in the day, day time sleepiness or fatigue and think you may have sleep apnea, you should see your doctor right away.
