Is your sleep being disturbed by loud snoring, gasping, snorting, and choking sounds of your bed partner? Then this could well be a case of Sleep Apnea which is a sleep disorder in which people stop breathing for 10 seconds to 30 seconds while sleeping. This can happen for around 400 times in a single night, and it is very disturbing. There are two types of sleep apnea. The first one is obstructive sleep apnea in which the trachea or wind pipe through which air comes into the body is blocked by tonsils, tongue, fatty tissue, relaxed throat muscles or uvula which is the fleshy part that hangs at the back of your throat. Due to this blockage, there is difficulty in breathing. The second type of apnea you find is the central sleep apnea which is comparatively less common than the obstructive sleep apnea. In this type of sleep apnea the brain does not send signal to the breathing muscles or the signal gets interrupted due to which there is disturbance in breathing.
CPAP device
The Continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) device is used to treat people with sleep apnea. The device consists of tubes, fan, and a mask. It pushes your tongue forward and opens your throat with the help of air pressure. This lets air pass through the throat smoothly, thus preventing apnea and snoring. The device is a must for people suffering from sleep apnea for a good night sleep. Before using the device, your doctor will study your sleep patterns at a sleep center during which he will try different levels of air pressure with the CPAP device. For people who have severe apnea and are overweight, higher air pressure is needed. For choosing the right CPAP device for yourself you must consult your doctor. When you want to get a CPAP device, you need doctor’s prescription as it is a medical device that is sold only after approval of the Food and Drug Administration (FDA).Before buying a CPAP device it is better to rent it for many weeks to check if it has all the features you want and to know how comfortable it is. Check if the insurance company covers the CPAP device you want.
Problems with CPAP device
In the beginning, you may find it difficult to adjust with your CPAP device but you will eventually get used to it. You may find the mask problematic. You must try out different masks to find the one that is comfortable to you. When you feel that your nose is becoming dry, you can moisten the air coming from the CPAP device with help of a humidifier. People using the device also complain of nose being blocked. You can use a nasal spray to clear the block. A full face mask that covers nose and mouth is used in people who breathe through their mouth. The mask can be irritating to the skin when it is firmly fixed over nose. To get rid of this problem, special kind of moisturizers are available for CPAP users. To relive the pressure on the bridge of the nose, nasal pillows are used that fit into the nostrils. A chin strap is used to hold the jaw up so that air does not leak out of the mask. If breathing out against air pressure is making you uncomfortable, you can use the bi level machine that lowers air pressure when exhaling. You may not be able to wear the mask for the whole night. Try wearing it for one hour and gradually increase the duration when you get used to the mask.
Follow up
The sleep specialist will ask you to come for a follow up visit after a month of using CPAP device. You can discuss your adjustment problems with your specialist. Adjustment of the air pressure of CPAP device needs to be done if you lose or gain weight, feel sleepy during day time or you are undergoing another treatment for sleep apnea like a mouth piece or surgery of upper airway. For more information you can contact the American sleep Apnea association. You can also join the A.W.A.K.E support group for people having sleep apnea where you can discuss about the CPAP device.
