CPAP Machines Let Sleep Apnea Patients Breathe Easier
CPAP machines provide continuous positive airway pressure during sleep to help sleep apnea patients breathe more easily. The pressurized air reaches the patient through a sleep mask that provides air all night long.
There are other breathing machines besides the CPAP machine. They tend to be more expensive than CPAP therapy, but some people find CPAP masks uncomfortable and find other treatments more effective.
A VPAP machine offers variable positive airway pressure, and a BiPAP machine is a bilevel positive airway pressure machine. In these, the pressure is different when inhaling than when exhaling. For some people, a VPAP mask or BiPAP mask can be more comfortable and make breathing feel more natural.
An APAP machine gives automatic positive airway pressure (also known as auto-titrating continuous positive airway pressure) through an APAP mask. This machine has sensors that monitor the patient's breathing, providing extra air when needed.
CPAP machines are one of the snoring aids that are often covered by insurance. However, insurance companies are less likely to cover treatment with APAP or VPAP. Most patients start with CPAP treatment, trying other machines only if they are not satisfied with CPAP therapy.
+Jim Du Molin is a leading Internet search expert helping individuals and families connect with the right dentist in their area. Visit his author page.
Sleep Disorders: Had Enough of Snoring and Feeling Tired?
Sleep disorders are not a normal part of life. While everyone has trouble sleeping sometimes, it should not be a nightly battle. Fortunately, sleep medicine offers some restful solutions.
Some of the most common sleep disorders include obstructive sleep apnea, insomnia, bruxism (grinding your teeth), sleepwalking, and restless leg syndrome. To diagnose the sleeping problem, a sleep doctor will sometimes have the patient come to a sleep center for an overnight sleep study.
But diagnosing sleep apnea can sometimes be straightforward. If your husband or wife tells you that you snore and skip breaths at night, then you almost certainly have sleep apnea. (Not everyone who snores has sleep apnea, but almost everyone with sleep apnea snores.)
Other symptoms of sleep apnea include daytime fatigue, because breathing-disordered sleep is not as restful. But whether a sleep partner diagnoses your sleep apnea or your fatigue sends you to see your dentist or physician, you'll improve your health by seeking sleep apnea treatment.
Sleep apnea treatment can make your sleep more restful, leaving you less tired an in a better mood during the day. Plus, if you stop snoring, maybe your husband or wife will sleep better too!
+Jim Du Molin is a leading Internet search expert helping individuals and families connect with the right dentist in their area. Visit his author page.