Guide to Sleep Apnea and CPAP Therapy

Sleep Apnea is a disorder of interrupted breathing during sleep. It

usually occurs in association with fat buildup or loss of muscle tone

with aging. These changes cause the windpipe to collapse during

breathing when muscles relax during sleep.



This problem, called Obstructive Sleep Apnea, is usually associated

with loud snoring, though not everyone who snores has this disorder.

Sleep Apnea also can occur if the neurons that control the breathing

malfunction during sleep.



During an episode of Obstructive Sleep Apnea, the person's effort

to inhale creates suction that collapes the airway. This blocks the

flow of air for ten seconds to a minute, while the sleeping person

struggles to breathe. When the person's blood oxygen levels fall, the

brain responds by waking the person enough to tighten the upper airway

muscles and open the airway. This cycle may be repeated hundreds of

times a night. The frequent awakenings that Sleep Apnea patient's

experience, leave them coninutually sleepy, and may lead to personality

changes, such as irritability or depression.



Sleep Apnea also deprives the person of oxygen, which can lead to

morning headaches, a loss of interest in sex, or a decline in mental

functioning. It is also linked to high blood pressure, irregular

heartbeats, and an increased risk of heart attacks and stroke. Patients

with severe, untreated Sleep Apnea are two to three times more likely

to have automobile accidents than the general population. In some high

risk individuals, Sleep Apnea may even lead to sudden death from

respiratory assest during sleep.



An estimated 18 million Americans have Sleep Apnea. However few of them

have had the problem diagnosed. Patients with the typical features of

Sleep Apnea, such as loud snoring, obesity, and excessive daytime

sleepiness, should be referred to a specialized sleep center that can

perform a test called polysomagraphy. This test records the patient's

brain waves, heartbeat, and breathing during an entire night of sleep.

If sleep apnea is diagnosed, several treatments are available, most

commonly Continous Positive Pressure Ventilation, or CPAP. Mild Sleep

Apnea frequently can be overcome through weight loss, or by preventing

the person from sleeping on his or her back. Other people may need

special devices such as a chin strap, or surgery to correct the

obstruction. People with Sleep Apnea should never take sleeping pills,

which can prevent them from awakening enough to breathe.



CPAP is most effective and widely used therapy for the treatment of

Sleep Apnea. The priniciples of CPAP are in the use of high flow air

generating devices to help faciliate a patent, or clear airway, free of

any anotomical restriction or obstruction. This is accomplished through

what is called a CPAP or BIPAP machine. BIPAP is an acronym for Bilevel

Positive Airway Pressure and as such, delivers a set pressure during

the inspriatory phase, and a set, lesser pressure during the exhalation

phase. CPAP is an acronym for Continuous Positive Airway Pressure, and

as such, delivers a set pressure during both the inspiratory and

expiratory phase.

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Orignal From: Guide to Sleep Apnea and CPAP Therapy