CPAP machine deliver pressurized air to sleepers’ mouths. They help patients with obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) breathe through the night. These patients suffer from narrowing or collapse of their air passages during sleep, causing breathing to stop (apnea) or become markedly reduced periodically (hypopnea). Invented in 1980 by Colin Sullivan, CPAP machines now help millions. Quality of sleep and quality of daytime waking can be vastly improved when a CPAP is used. Indeed, use of CPAP has been shown to help reduce hypetension in patients.
There are two types of CPAP machines: Nasal and Bilevel (or BiPAP) Nasal CPAPs(NCPAPs) blow air into the upper airway continuously; they are basically fans blowing into a tube. (Despite their simplicity they can be effective.)
buy cpap machine try to more closely match normal breathing rhythms by allowing different pressure during expiration from inspiration.
How do you wear them at night?
The machine pumps air, which is delivered usually through snugly fitting masks over their nose. The masks may also cover the mouth, and parts of the face and forehead, depending on the design.. They are held securely in place by headbands or tapes, throughout the duration of sleep. “Nasal pillows” are one variation in design, where air is delivered directly inside the nostrils through small cushions, without anything on the face.CPAP machines can be uncofortable, which is a factor in a substantial portion of patients quitting use within a few weeks.
How much pressure or flow can they generate?
CPAP machines can generate a range of pressures above atmospheric pressure, typically between 4 and 20 centimeters of water. The average patient however requires between 6 and 14 centimeters of water pressure, and individual pressure requirements are calculated for patients after a sleep study in a laboratory. High-end CPAP machines can also incorporate programmed patterns of varying pressure depending on air flow (auto-CPAP).
Air flow rates can also be varied between 20 to 60 liters of air per minute on most machines. The user adjusts the rate to fit the individual airway resistance and tidal volume (average volume of air inhaled or exhaled per breath). The airflow rate that is appropriate for you is one that allows the oxygen levels in your blood to remain at normal levels. Again, your sleep laboratory or physician can help you in this regard.
Do you need your doctor’s approval to get one?
Yes. CPAP machines cannot be sold without your doctor’s prescription. More importantly, sleep apnea is linked to several serious health problems, and it is very important that you are under medical supervision if you suffer from it.
Do they work?
Yes, they work very well. Of course, different people have different stories, but hundreds of thousands of people use CPAPs regularly. Further, they can improve sleep quality during the first night and allow the sleeper to spend more time in slow-wave sleep.