CPAP – An Effective Way to Treat Sleep Apnea

Sleep Apnea is a sleep disorder that affects one in three people.  There are various types of sleep apnea, the most common form being Obstructive Sleep Apnea (OSA). When we sleep, the throat relaxes.  People with OSA relax the throat so much that the airway becomes narrowed or blocked. As a result, airflow is reduced or completely stops flowing into the upper airway and the lungs, so the body doesn’t get the oxygen it needs to function.  This is called an apnea event and can last up to 10 seconds.  In other words, breathing stops for up to 10 seconds!  When this occurs, the brain sends a signal to the body to wake up and take a breath.  Once the breath is taken, you fall back asleep.  This cycle of not breathing, waking up and taking a breath, and falling back asleep can occur up to hundreds of times in one night.

Due to the cyclical nature of sleep apnea, it can be a major disruption to getting a good night’s rest.  As a result, people can experience fatigue, morning headaches, high blood pressure, and in extreme cases life-threatening health issues.  If you feel you might be suffering from sleep apnea you should visit your doctor right away.

Fortunately, sleep apnea is treatable, most commonly through apnea therapy that can include the use of a Continuous Positive Airway Pressure, or CPAP, machine.  There are several types of CPAP machines, the three most common and three types of CPAP masks:

CPAP Machine Types

Standard CPAP:  This type of CPAP requires a specific pressure be prescribed and set for proper operation. Most CPAP machines include a heated humidifier which helps to maintain comfort.

Auto CPAP:  This device self-regulates and continuously monitors and adjusts pressure to treat apnea events. This is the most common type of CPAP machine.

Bi-level PAP:  This type of machine is used by less than 10% of sleep apnea patients and uses two different pressures — one during inhalation and one during exhalation. Bi-level PAP is named differently by two of the major manufacturers of CPAP devices.  Respironics calls their Bi-level PAP devices BiPAP and ResMed calls their device VPAP. Most of these devices feature Automatic pressure determination similar to the Auto CPAP.

Adaptive servo-ventilation (ASV):  Rarely used, this is for people with even more severe types of sleep apnea. An ASV keeps your airway open by delivering a mandatory breath when necessary.