CPAP treatment can be effective for the treatment of sleep apnea. It can greatly improve the quality of sleep and the quality of life also. Relief will be noticed after a night's use. The sleeping partner will rest also, hearing no snoring.
A CPAP machine is a method of ventilation in the treatment of sleep apnea. CPAP stands for continuous positive airway pressure.
During sleep, muscles relax causing the upper airway to narrow and nearly close restricting the breathing. This results in decreased oxygen in the blood and this causes the patient to awaken suddenly during the night. This also is the reason for most snoring.
Sleep apnea can cause severe health problems and even death. A doctor will order a polysomnograpghy, sleep study to determine the need for CPAP. The patient will spend a night at a sleep lab while a sleep technician will monitor sleep patterns, breathing, vital signs, etc. to send to the doctor.
The CPAP machine prevents or stops the symptoms of sleep apnea. It delivers compressed air at a prescribed pressure by way of a hose to a mask to the nose to keep open pressure so that unobstructed breathing can become possible again. This can prevent or stop sleep apnea as well as the snoring as long as the CPAP continues. Sleep apnea will remain a chronic health issue, it will not never actually go away.
It is not the movement of the air, it is the pressure of the air that prevents apnea by forcing air through the airway and opening the obstructed airway. To use the CPAP, first the machine is turned off and the flow of air comes through the mask. After the mask is applied and seals to the face, the air stops flowing. At this point it is the air pressure that is working.
There will be disagreeable side effects and many people quit using it. The American Sleep Association states that the compliance rate of people using CPAP for more than a few months is 60%. Many side effects can be easily remedied if the health professional is made aware of them.
The mask must fit snugly to prevent leaking, but not tight. Sores on the nose are not to be expected. Nasal congestion, irritation, or runny nose that seems to be caused by CPAP will change. One role of the nose is to warm and humidify the air with breathing.
The CPAP may begin to dry the nose, the body will adjust and increase mucus production to add more moisture to the the air being breathed. This can cause runny nose and nasal congestion, or burning and sneezing. These symptoms can be alleviated by the use of a humidifier along with the CPAP. Humidifiers can be warm or cold water humidifiers. Heating the air will let the air carry more moisture as it travels to the nose. Cold water will dry the air, just as summer air versus winter air.
Allergies may present difficulty using a CPAP. The doctor can recommend or prescribe allergy medication or steroid sprays.
The CPAP may require time for the mind and body to adjust. The mask may scare the patient as he or she awakens to find it suddenly on the face, or will find it is not on the face upon awakening. This will improve over time, talk to the doctor, maybe a temporary sleep medication would be helpful until the adjustment is made. The patient may experience gas or gas pains, the head and the body being aligned during sleep should help. If the patient sleeps with head elevated, put the pillow or wedge under headboard, not under sleeping pillow to keep the head from tilting forward and blocking the airway.
The noise of the machine could be distracting. Maybe a longer tubing so it can be further from the bed. Maybe a fan for "white noise" would help. Tubing getting in the way? Drape it over headboard behind you or seek out a device that attaches to bed and keeps the tube up and it can move with patient. Getting up at night can be bothersome to hook and unhook everything involved from the face. Simply unhook the tubing from the machine or mask. This way the mask does not need to be totally undone and done again.
Sleep Apnea CauseSuzanne Murphy Licensed Nurse
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