CPAP Sleep Apnea

Snoring Center – CPAP Sleep Apnea Treatment 0

Dr. Craig Schwimmer discusses the treatments for sleep apnea including CPAP. 3/25/08

Tags: apnea, Center, cpap, sleep, snoring, Treatment

CPAP Machine – The Most Common Treatment for Sleep Apnea 0

Sleep Apnea is a disorder that commonly affects more than 12 million people in the United States. While the exact cause of remains unclear, what’s known is that the site of obstruction in most patients is the soft palate, including the area at the base of the tongue.

During the day, muscles in the region keep the passage open and clear; but since there’s no bone or cartilage in this area to hold the airway open, when a person with Obstructive Sleep Apnea (OSA) falls asleep, the muscles relax and the airway collapses.

Besides interrupting sleep and causing disorientation and “fogginess” during the waking hours, the dangers to overall health are many.

The primary risk factors for OSA are:

Excessive Weight – The accumulation of fat on the sides of the upper airway cause it to become narrow and predisposed to closure when the muscles relax.

Age – Loss of muscle mass is a common consequence of the aging process, leaving the airway narrow and soft. Men have a greater risk for OSA.

Male Hormones – Testosterone can cause structural changes in the upper airway.

Other risk factors include: A receding chin… Enlarged tonsils and adenoids… Use of drugs that affect the Central Nervous System (CNS) such as alcohol, tranquilizers, etc. … Smoking … Chronic nasal congestion… and several syndromes such as hypothyroidism, post-polio syndrome, neuromuscular disorders, Marfan’s syndrome, and Down syndrome, to name a few. Although to date there is no hard data to confirm this theory, it’s also believed that there’s a genetic factor involved.

The signs and symptoms of OSA are many and varied and many are not overtly medical. (For example, non-restorative sleep leads to such things as car accidents, bad moods, memory problems, depression and even impotence.)

Some common signs that you may have OSA are:

Loud Snoring – This is perhaps the most common sign that a person’s airway is obstructed, and the complaint that initially brings many undiagnosed OSA patients to their doctors for help. Not everyone who snores has sleep apnea, but if other signs are present, as well, it’s a distinct possibility.

Excessive Daytime Sleepiness – Some people with OSA fall asleep while reading or watching TV. Others experience powerful urges to doze off even in a stimulating environment, such as while driving or during business meetings – even while having sex!

Unrefreshing Sleep – Many OSA patients complain of waking up feeling as if they had been awake all night (usually, they have been, in fact). Then, if they try to refresh themselves with a nap, they usually feel worse after napping than they did before.

Drowsiness While Driving – Statistics show that many car accidents are caused by drivers either nodding off at the wheel or else being too sleepy to be alert.

Morning Headaches – Frequent, unexplained headaches are a common sign of OSA.

Frequent Nighttime Urination – Getting up to use the bathroom several times a night may be caused by an apneic event.

If your doctor does diagnose OSA, then you’ll be relieved to know that a CPAP sleep apnea machine will give you relief and protection as soon as you start using it.

Tags: apnea, Common, cpap, machine, Most, sleep, Treatment

Can anymore tell me about CPAP machines/sleep apnea? 5

I’m a teen and I have mild sleep apnea. Is a CPAP machine effective and is it really loud? I share I room and I don’t want it disturbing anyone. Is there anything I can do that will help me?

Tags: About, anymore, apnea, cpap, machines/sleep, tell

Buy Cheap CPAP Machines for Sale 0

astore.amazon.com

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have any of you used a CPAP for sleep apnea? 5

Did you ahver to have an overnight sleep test done at the hospital-and did your dr. of neurologist have to order it. Did Insurance give you a hassel. I am newely diagnosed but am on an oxygen converter and it does not help me sleep. I understand a CPAP does and would like to hear of your experience and if possible, the brand you use for the base unit and mask.
this would be of such help to me in my old age.

thank you for taking time to share with me.

Tags: apnea, cpap, sleep, Used

Sleep Apnea Treatment with CPAP & BiPAP Equipment 0

The Birth of the CPAP Supply Industry

The leading cause of death in the hospital is infection usually caused by staff, patients, and visitors not washing their hands. Respiratory supplies were changed every forty-eight hours to help prevent respiratory infections. When I got into home
health I recognized that patients were not changing their CPAP supplies. I discovered that a lot of patients did not know that most insurance companies would pay for these new supplies. They were very thankful; some of them had never received a new CPAP mask or supplies. Thus the Supply Program was born! My hope in this article is that you will find out how to recognize symptoms associated with Sleep Apnea, learn some new terms, and discover the proper treatment to help you
sleep better.

Sleep Apnea Diagnosis

Sleep Apnea can be best defined as someone who stops breathing while sleeping. According to the American Sleep Apnea Association this affects more than twelve  million Americans alone! There are three types of Sleep Apnea: Central,
Mixed, and Obstructive Sleep Apnea (OSA). The most common form of Sleep Apnea is OSA, which is caused by an obstruction or collapse of the airway. For example, the tongue, palate, orepiglottis can obstruct the airway. Central Sleep Apnea is
caused when the brain fails to tell the muscles to breathe. Mixed Sleep Apnea is a mixture of both Central and Obstructive Sleep Apnea. Untreated Sleep Apnea can cause Congestive Heart Failure, Diabetes, High Blood Pressure, Headaches, Weight
Gain, and Motor Vehicle Accidents. Since most people are not familiar with the symptoms of Sleep Apnea it is most often overlooked and undiagnosed.

Testing for Sleep Apnea with the Edgeworth Sleep Test

A Sleep Test is the most common tool used to diagnose Sleep Apnea. During the sleep  test usually half the night will be spent diagnosing whether the patient does have Sleep Apnea. The second portion of the test will be spent using CPAP
equipment to document any improvement and measure its effectiveness. The most common test for symptoms is the Epworth Sleepiness Scale. This is not a diagnosis but simply a guideline to indicateto your physician that you may have Sleep
Apnea and may require a sleep study. If you suspect that you or a loved one may suffer from Sleep Apnea try answering the following questions:

How likely are you to doze off or fall asleep in the situations described below, in contrast to feeling just tired?
This refers to your usual way of life in recent times. Even if you haven’t done some of these things recently try to work out how they would have affected you. Use the following scale to choose the most appropriate number for each situation:

0 = would never doze
1 = Slight chance of dozing
2 = Moderate chance of dozing
3 = High chance of dozing

Situation Chance of dozing

Sitting and reading
Watching TV
Sitting, inactive in a public place (e.g. a theatre or a meeting)
As a passenger in a car for an hour without a break
Lying down to rest in the afternoon when circumstances permit
Sitting and talking to someone
Sitting quietly after a lunch without alcohol
In a car, while stopped for a few minutes in the traffic

Total

_____________
_____________
_____________
_____________
_____________
_____________
_____________
_____________

_____________

Score:

0-10 NORMAL RANGE
10-12 BORDERLINE
12-24 ABNORMAL

Treatment With CPAP Equipment

CPAP (Continuous Positive Airway Pressure) is the most common treatment for patients who have been diagnosed for Sleep Apnea. The amount of pressure being delivered with a CPAP machine is usually determined by your sleep study
and varies for each person. This equipment is only available through an order written by your physician. The biggest problem associated with CPAP is the patient’s inability to tolerate air pressure, the type of cpap mask used, or poor cpap mask fitting. Over a period of time many patients do get used to the pressure from CPAP with practice. I
have found that an excellent way to alleviate the discomfort especially during this learning phase is to use the “ramp” feature. The patient can use this feature anytime they are having difficulty tolerating the pressure from CPAP. The
“ramp” feature reduces the pressure dramatically and within 30-45 minutes the pressure slowly builds up until optimal pressure has been reached again. The patient will usually fall asleep during this period and not notice the increased air
pressure.

BiLevel or BiPAP (Bilevel Positive Airway Pressure) is designed for patients who have a high pressure prescribed or who have trouble tolerating the pressure associated with CPAP. BiPap has two pressures. Inspiratory (inhalation) and
Expiratory (exhalation) The Expiratory pressure is dramatically reduced so the patient can tolerate BiPAP. Although this equipment is much more expensive than CPAP most insurance companies will pay for it with the proper documentation.

In conclusion, there are many types of equipment and supplies to treat Sleep Apnea. Selecting the right equipment to handle your personal pressure settings along with a comfortable mask and the right filters and cushions can be quite
confusing. Therefore, it is important that you select a company that can not only provide you with quality CPAP machines and CPAP supplies but also with personal service customized for your particular needs. The very best durable medical
equipment companies are awarded the Gold Seal of Approval by the Joint Commission so that is also something to look for when selecting a company. Lastly, select a company that specializes in Sleep Apnea equipment and service for your best
chance at achieving your goal to sleep better now!

About The Author:

Lloyd Mote is a licensed Respiratory Therapist with over twenty years of experience. He is also the Chief Executive
Officer and founder of Americare Respiratory Services, Inc., which has been awarded the Gold Seal of Approval from the Joint Commission.

Tags: apnea, bipap, cpap, Equipment, sleep, Treatment

Two Most Popular Machines Of Sleep Apnea – CPAP and BiPAP 0

Sleep apnea in layman’s term is described as a state of the body when the respiratory procedure stops for almost ten seconds during his sleep. This can happen up to four hundred times during the course of a single night’s sleep, and can have serious recursion son the health of the person sometimes even leading to death if it is not treated properly.

The cause of his peculiar disease varies from being hereditary to a unhealthy lifestyle system. Smoking, drinking, fatigue, stress and many other such reasons are responsible for sleep apnea. It can give rise to your blood pressure level, cause distraction in your work, make you feel irritated and even cause a accident while driving.

It’s obvious that sleep apnea is a serious problem. if you want a permanent solution then you can opt for surgery, however if you think your problem is not very critical then you can go for varioussleep apnea machines like CPAP, or BiPAP.

Both these sleep apnea machines have the same function. They help the patient to breath by forcing the air into his nostrils by means of a air tight mask that is secured severely on his face by the help of elastic bands. The two most popular machines that are used to treat this disorder is known as CPAP machine and the BiPAP machines.

The CPAP is widely recommended for people who have mild sleep disorders. It works on a one way mechanism and helps a person to inhale the air. it is cost effective and is also portable which makes it a good choice for mild sleep apnea patient.

However if you re patient of some kin d of heart disease then BiPAP is the ideal choice for you because it work s on two way mechanism. It maintains the pressure while breathing in and breathing out of the air. In case a person happens to miss his breath for a certain period of time the BiPAP forces air into hi s mouth, to reestablish the regular breathing procedure. BiPAP also give a patient much more comfort because pressure inside the face mask is controlled.

There is advanced form of CPAP machine known as ACAP which automatically adjust the amount of pressure that should be used during the respiration process, so that the patient is relieved from exerting high amount of pressure during normal breathing procedure.

The utility of the sleep apnea machine are also enhanced by the use of various machine accessories like a humidifier, breath counter, cotton face masks, mask liners etc, to make the experience more soothing for the patient.

Tags: apnea, bipap, cpap, machines, Most, Popular, sleep

Ruptured Disk and a CPAP 16

A video explaining my back injury and sleeping problems. CPAP are crazy to get used to and keep clean. Plus it hurt my ears… thanks insurance for making try this before surgery!

Tags: cpap, Disk, Ruptured

SleepWeaver Soft Cloth CPAP Mask for OSA Obstructive Sleep Apnea Patients 0

Fitting cleaning and maintaining your new SleepWeaver soft cloth CPAP mask video. Brought to you by www.sleepweaver.com and only from Circadiance.

Tags: apnea, Cloth, cpap, mask, obstructive, Patients, sleep, SleepWeaver, Soft

Sleep Apnea Machines – CPAP vs. BiPAP 0

Have you been diagnosed with sleep apnea? Your doctor could prescribe one of two types of sleep apnea machines for your sleeping disorder, a CPAP or BiPap machine. Which one do you believe is the best? The CPAP has been a lifesaver, literally. Keeping airways open so those who have sleep apnea can sleep without the dangers of not breathing.

The Differences Between the CPAP and the BiPAP

The CPAP machine is designed to increase the pressure when you inhale to keep the airways in the nose, throat and mouth from closing while you are sleeping. This has been a great help to many people who suffer from sleep apnea and may stop breathing several times a night.

On the other hand, the BiPAP machine may help as well. Using the same setup as a CPAP with tubing, masks and a machine, the BiPAP uses a different setting. The CPAP uses one pressure and the BiPAP uses two. These two pressures are called inhalation pressure (IPAP) and the exhalation pressure (EPAP).

Where the CPAP works as the person using it inhales, the BiPAP provides more breathing assistance. They have been prescribed for patients who have congestive heart failure and other serious diseases affecting the heart and lungs. People with nerve and muscle problems may also benefit from the BiPAP machine rather than the CPAP machine.

The BiPAP is preset with two settings. The pressure when inhaling and exhaling is monitored. When the person sleeping does not breathe for a certain mount of time, the BiPAP increases pressure and forces them to take a breath. There are higher level CPAP machines that do this as well. These machines need a BPM (breathes per minute) setting that is targeted to your particular breathing needs.

Both machines are designed to make sure the users breathe a set number of times per minute. One of the main benefits of the BiPAP machine is the pressure is decreased as the person breathes out. This keeps them from having to work as hard at breathing and the person is able to have a more restful sleep.

The BiPAP machine is not large or noisy. They are designed to make the least amount of noise possible so you can sleep. The inclusion of a humidifier may be included with the BiPAP making it a higher end machine than the CPAP.

The main difference between these two machines will be the needs of the patient. The one that will help each individual with the specific breathing problems they have will be based on doctor’s examinations and recommendations. A sleep test will be conducted to allow the doctor to see exactly what settings are needed on the type of machine required.

The CPAP machine will be used for mild sleep apnea. Make no mistake, this can be a dangerous condition. It just depends on the levels of sleep apnea to govern the needed machine. Both machines are quite beneficial and are crucial to keeping sleepers breathing when they have problems.

In conclusion, remember, the sleep apnea machines are not designed to be used as ventilators. They do not breathe for you. They merely make sure you take the number of breaths per minute that your doctor believes is right for you. After doing tests to determine what the correct number may be, the doctor will advise you as to which machine he thinks you need.

Tags: apnea, bipap, cpap, machines, sleep