All About Continuous Positive Airway Pressure Treatment (CPAP)
Gabriel Adams
Continuous Airway Pressure Treatment, also known as CPAP, for
short, is a treatment used for the treatment of sleep apnea,
and in some cases, snoring. CPAP has proven to be very
effective for treating these sleeping disorders, and is often
used by sleep therapists as a preferred method of treatment.
Sleep apnea is a sleep disorder which causes a person to stop
breathing for short spaces throughout their sleep. A person
suffering from sleep apnea may experience anywhere from five to
thirty or more incidents of apnea per hour, each lasting ten
seconds or more.
Apnea is divided into two categories, based on its cause.
Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is caused by a restriction in the
patients airways. Central sleep apnea is caused by a break in
the signals from the brain to the lungs, etc. CPAP is effective
for cases of OSA, but not Central Sleep Apnea.
CPAP works by supplied a stream of pressurized air to the
patients lungs, via a mask the patients wears while sleeping.
This air will be supplied at a rate set by a sleep therapist,
often at a sleep center. The ideal pressure is determined by
observation – the ideal pressure is the pressure at which
incidents of apnea are reduced most or stopped. Some newer CPAP
machines have a feature which decreases air pressure when the
patient exhales, to improve the comfortability of the device.
Newer technologies also use automatic pressure monitoring. A
computer automatically adjusts the air pressure so that it is
always at an optimal level.
Most patients will notice a marked improvement in their sleep
the first night they use CPAP. While the CPAP machinery and
mask may not be convenient, the benefits more than outweigh the
disadvantages.
CPAP machines are now available to the public for purchase. Of
course, before buying and using one, you should consult with
your health care professional.
About The Author: For more on CPAP Machines, visit
http://www.cpap-europe.com/machines-c-1.html
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