CPAP machines provide relief from sleep apnea for millions of patients around the world. Sleep apnea places people at risk for developing a host of much more serious diseases, and must be diagnosed during a sleep study. After diagnosis, patients will be given their own machine, with the type of mask most suited to their needs. Most machines and replacement parts are covered by insurance policies.
Sleep apnea happens when patients are roused during sleep, because they are not breathing. Patients will either have obstructive apnea, or will have central apnea. With obstructive apnea, the tissues of the soft palate and throat constrict during sleep, causing an airway obstruction. With central apnea, the brain sends faulty signals to the breathing muscles, which causes the cessation of breathing during sleep.
Many risk factors contribute to the development of sleep apnea. Excess weight, excess neck circumference, a naturally narrow throat, or hypertension, may all be physical causes of apnea. Being older than sixty-five, being male, and having a family history of apnea also place a patient more at risk. Certain behaviors, such as prolonged sitting, smoking, and the use of alcohol and sedatives may also contribute to apnea. In addition, having a stroke or a brain tumor may cause the brain to send faulty signals to breathing muscles.
Both obstructive and central apnea may cause more serious problems. Apnea causes the level of oxygen in the blood to sink rapidly, placing a great deal of strain on the heart and blood vessels. Since patients with apnea experience little restorative sleep, they often feel irritable and fatigued, during the daytime. Those who drive, or who operate heavy machinery, are especially endangered by the fatigue that apnea causes.
A sleep study will determine the presence of apnea. Patients are usually kept overnight at a center for sleep disorders, and electrodes are attached to various body parts. During this test, which is known as nocturnal polysomnography, brain, lung, and heart activity, as well as blood oxygen, are monitored.
CPAP stands for continuous positive airway pressure. A CPAP machine keeps the breathing passages inflated, so that breathing is not interrupted during sleep. Manufacturers have produced a variety of different masks, depending on whether patients naturally breathe through their noses, or mouths. Insurance usually pays for masks to be replaced every six months, because silicone inevitably breaks down, preventing the formation of a tight seal.
Most patients have to try an assortment of masks. A trial and error period is often unavoidable, as patients work to find the best mask, for a good night’s sleep. Patients should communicate frequently with their physician, and may also take advantage of toll-free numbers offered by CPAP companies, which allow patients to communicate with an expert.
Most patients add a humidifier to their CPAP machine, to prevent dried-out nasal passages. Regular care of the mask will maintain performance, as long as patients do not use antibacterial soap, which breaks down silicone. To put an end to sleep apnea once and for all, people should investigate the advantages of using a CPAP machine.
Battling sleep apnea in Ottawa? Get more information today on symptoms, where to get CPAP machines in Ottawa, and the next steps to take.