CPAP: A Sleep Apnea Appliance to Prevent Sleep Apnea
Is there a big difference between snoring and sleep apnea? A person who snores should be able to make a distinction between these two. Snoring is the loud sound during sleep that a person makes but it doesn’t involve cessation of breathing. Sleep apnea on the other hand, is a breathing obstruction. A person with sleep apnea frequently wakes up many times at night just to regain breathing.
If you are diagnosed with sleep apnea, there are possible treatments that you can undergo depending on the severity of the disease. For those with mild apnea, a conservative treatment is applicable. This includes sufficient amount of sleep, abstinence in alcohol and sedative use, avoid supine position while sleeping, and lose weight.
For clinically-significant sleep apnea, the CPAP or continuous positive airway pressure is the most effective treatment. A CPAP machine contains a fan that blows the air under pressure into the person’s nostrils. The airflow will then act as pneumonic splint that will keep the pharyngeal-airway open. Patients should use the mask while sleeping. However, CPAP is not curative.
During a sleep-laboratory study, the needed optimal pressure in CPAP is determined. These pressures are being measured in centimeters of water. This sleep study usually lasts for 1 to 2 nights.
Heavier patients with severe apnea requires a much higher pressure, they can even tolerate higher pressures than what thinner patients can.
CPAP requirements can change over the length of time. Weight loss may reduce the required CPAP level, while weight gain will increase the required pressure.
CPAP is an effective way to reduce snoring but some patients have difficulty in tolerating such therapy. It is still necessary to conduct more research about oral appliances use in OSA (obstructive sleep apnea) treatment.
Article written by Hector Milla, editor of http://www.SleepApneaCure.org, a website about Sleep Apnea Cure, thanks for publish this article in your website or ezine keeping a live and clickable link.
