Continuous Positive Airway Pressure, or CPAP (pronounced SEE-pap) as it is commonly referred to as, is used to treat a condition called Obstructive Sleep Apnea or OSA. OSA is a condition in which the back of your throat collapses during sleep, causing your airway to to be blocked. Even though you may be trying to breathe, the collapsed airway is blocking any air from moving in and out of your lungs. After a period of no breathing (called apnea), you typically take a loud, deep breath (which sometimes causes a snorting noise) to resume breathing. This may occur many times throughout the night.

When untreated, OSA is associated with increased incidence of high blood pressure, heart disease, diabetes, and stroke. Untreated OSA is also associated with an increase in the risk of motor vehicle accidents due to associated drowsiness
  The good news is that OSA can be effectively treated. Proper treatment has shown to reduce the risks associated with OSA (stroke, heart disease, etc.). The most common and effective treatment for OSA is continuous positive airway pressure or CPAP as it is commonly called.

CPAP works by applying a small amount of pressure to the airway through a mask that fits over the nose (called nasal mask), or nose and mouth (called full-face mask). The mask is connected via tubing to the CPAP machine that is set according to your doctor’s prescription to provide just enough pressure to the airway to keep it open during sleep and prevent the apneas. This positive pressure pushes out on the walls of the throat, creating a “splint” within the airway in much the same way that air pressure within a balloon pushes out on the walls of the balloon preventing it from collapsing.

Another type of treatment very similar to CPAP is Bi-level Positive Airway Pressure. Bi-level, or BiPAP as it is commonly referred to as, works the same way as CPAP, only it use two different pressures. One pressure is used while the person inhales and another, lower pressure while the person exhales. Many patients find the lower pressure during exhalation more comfortable and easier to breathe with as the machine cycles to match your normal breathing patterns.
  Don’t be surprised if it takes some time to get used to wearing the mask during sleep. Most patients are able to use CPAP or Bi-level without significant problems after a period of acclimation. If it is difficult for you to wear the mask for the full night at the start of treatment, begin with a few hours a night and gradually work your way up to wearing the mask the entire night. The important thing is to keep trying and don’t give up.

Many CPAP and Bi-level devices have features built into the technology that are designed to make it easier for you to use. Two such features are ramp and expiratory relief. Ramp lets you start off the night with a lower pressure and then gradually increase over a preset amount of time to the prescribed pressure as you fall asleep. Expiratory relief allows you the air flow to drop slightly as you exhale.

If you have any questions about CPAP or Bi-level therapy, contact your doctor or feel free to call us to talk with our respiratory clinician.