CPAP Machines For Sleep Apnea

CPAP machines for sleep apnea

If you have sleep apnea, you may need a CPAP machines for sleep apnea(continuous positive airway pressure) machine to keep your upper airways open during the night. These machines deliver a stream of pressurized air through a tube and a mask that goes over your mouth or nose while you sleep. During the night, this constant flow of air prevents your throat muscles and soft palate from collapsing and reduces snoring. CPAP machines can also help improve your quality of life by decreasing or eliminating daytime sleepiness and improving concentration, memory, and cognitive function.

Several types of CPAP machines are available, including:

Full face masks: These cover the mouth and nose or just the mouth. A nasal pillow or cradle mask sits under the nose or above the upper lip and has two flexible silicone prongs that seal inside each nostril. These masks are often preferred for people who have trouble breathing through the nose, such as those with chronic allergies or a deviated septum.

Bi-level PAP: This machine delivers a different amount of air pressure during inhalation and exhalation to keep your upper airway open. Some machines, called auto-CPAP, automatically detect when your airway collapses and adjust the pressure accordingly.

Using a CPAP machine is the best option for most people with sleep apnea. However, people need to visit their doctor or sleep specialist to be properly diagnosed and to discuss other treatment options. For example, people who have apnea caused by enlarged tonsils or adenoids can sometimes resolve their symptoms with surgery to remove them. Other treatments include changing sleeping positions, wearing an oral appliance that holds the tongue forward to keep the airways open, and hypoglossal nerve stimulation, a surgically implanted device that sends electric stimuli to the nerves in the tongue to strengthen it and increase airway muscle tone.

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