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There are three different types namely obstructive, central and complex. Obstructive sleep apnea is the most common type caused by blockage of the upper airways. Central sleep apnea is when the brain does not signal the muscles to breathe. Complex apnea is when you have both obstructive and central apnea. You may want to look into BIPAP therapy for central sleep apnea.
Obstructive Sleep Apnea (OSA) arises when the upper airway is blocked or has collapsed during sleep, resulting in shallow breathing or breathing pauses.
When you attempt to breathe, any air that squeezes past the blockage can result in loud snoring. OSA can affect anyone, but it typically happens more often in people with upper airway abnormality and those who are overweight. It can also cause dire consequences to your long-term health due to fluctuations of blood pressure and oxygen level.
Untreated OSA may increase the risk for high blood pressure, heart attack, stroke, obesity, and diabetes. In addition, fragmentation of sleep in consequence to OSA can lead to the tendency of having work-related or driving accidents.
In general terms, CPAP implies the constant use of air pressure to keep the upper airway open. It prevents the upper airway muscles from collapsing, which causes the blockage.
There are 3 main components to deliver the pressure, namely the pump (the machine that pressurizes the room air), the mask (delivers pressure to the airway- a good seal is mandatory), and the tubing (connects the pump and the mask).
Everyone has a different rate at which they can adapt to CPAP therapy. If you are having a very difficult time falling asleep, you can try using the machine a few hours before you sleep and slowly extend the hours of usage. It is also recommended to use the machine when taking naps or even when you are awake so that you can get used to wearing the mask and therapy.
CPAP machines in Auto mode relies on your breathing pattern and gives you a higher pressure when an apnea event is detected. When you hold your breath, the machine will register it as a central apnea event and will be shown in your CPAP report as such. CPAP machines are not ventilators, they can only keep your upper airway free from obstruction but will not help you if your respiratory problems are due to lung problems.
The recommended usage hour is four hours every night. However, there are also patients who use it a few days a week and still see improvements in their daytime sleepiness. Recent studies have suggested that using a little as two hours a night is enough to see some health benefits.
It is recommended to do a sleep study followed by a consultation with a doctor before starting CPAP therapy. For more information on sleep study please visit our website.
You can express your interest to the Clinical Application Specialist assigned to you before you return the machine and they will guide you through the process and explain in more detail.
For more information do check our product comparison (coming soon!).
If you have a prescribed pressure from a doctor, it is best not to change it as it is based on your Apnea Hyponea Index (AHI). If you feel that the pressure is too high for you do let us your Clinical Application Specialist know and we will review your report & check if there is a need to adjust your settings
Higher pressures do not equate to better therapy. Your machine is most likely in APAP mode where the pressure will automatically adjust based on how you breathe. If the machine detects that you are having an apnea event, the pressure given will be increased to keep your airways open. The splinting pressure required is different for everyone and averages around 10cmH2O. This pressure may be higher for those with severe AHI.
RAMP time is a period of low pressure that can be set to help you fall asleep easier. For example, if the RAMP time is 15 minutes, it means that for the first 15 minutes after turning on the machine the pressure will be constant at the lowest pressure. This setting is to ensure that there won’t be any sudden increase in pressure as you are trying to fall asleep.
