A CPAP machine holds your airway open by gently blowing air into your breathing passages (nose, throat and ‘airways’) at a set pressure. This prevents the pauses in your breathing and helps you sleep better. A doctor or nurse will set the pressure level for you.
The air is delivered through a mask. Masks come in different shapes and sizes. They may just cover your nose or both your nose and mouth.
Power socket needed – CPAPs require a nearby power socket, as well as a secure surface to sit on, whereas an EPAP simply sits in the user’s nostrils without being attached to a machine.
A month after the surgery, you’ll visit your doctor to activate your device, and then you can use it at home while you sleep.
If you’ve tried and tried to acclimate to your CPAP mask to no avail, it may be time to consider oral appliance therapy. With this method, patients wear an appliance that looks and feels similar to an athletic mouthguard while they sleep.
What settings are best going forward? What range of amplitude is to be provided to the patient? read more What are the expectations?
28. Smith I, Lasserson TJ. Pressure modification for improving usage of continuous positive airway pressure machines in adults with obstructive sleep apnoea.
Keep Your Sinuses Clear: If your headaches are caused by sinus irritation or inflammation, rinsing your sinuses or using a nasal spray may give you some relief.
Oral appliances can be an excellent adjunct in carefully selected patients, as outlined by Giles et al.
If your symptoms aren't eliminated after consistent use of the device, contact your doctor to assess whether your pressure needs to be adjusted or if you would benefit from a different PAP option such as an auto-titrating device or a BiLevel machine.
See a Specialist If the Problem Persists: If you’re still experiencing issues after trying these recommendations, you may need to visit your ENT (be sure to let them know you’re on CPAP therapy) for guidance.
Nasal congestion. This can be the result of air being directed into your nose. What to do: Most newer CPAP machines come with a built-in humidifier—you can adjust the level of humidification so that it might ease nasal congestion.
Most studies evaluating the effectiveness of positional therapy are based on data from small, uncontrolled studies with relatively short-term follow up. A few observational trials with longer-term follow suggest that compliance with positional therapy over time is poor. Thus, positional therapy using various modalities should typically be recommended for patients as a secondary or supplemental therapy.
Nasal surgery alone will rarely remove the requirement for CPAP but may facilitate its use, particularly nCPAP. There is in fact limited evidence that nasal obstruction contributes to the pathogenesis of OSA.