CPAP, BiPAP, VPAP, Auto CPAP and Portable Oxygen Concentrators

Why do I need to continue my CPAP Therapy?

Obstructive sleep apnea is a sleep disorder that affects millions of Americans. Obstructive sleep apnea occurs when there are blockages in the upper airway, causing a restriction of airflow during sleep. Typically, the muscles in your throat are supposed to remain open during sleep. For a variety of reasons, these muscles can relax, which results in breathing obstruction. Breathing stops during sleep for varied amounts of time. Therefore, oxygen is reduced in the bloodstream, causing the person to wake up repeatedly.

Anyone can suffer from obstructive sleep apnea; however, it most commonly affects middle aged and overweight people. Obesity is among the leading causes of obstructive sleep apnea. There are a vast array of symptoms and signs that are affiliated with obstructive sleep apnea, some of which are more common than others. The most common symptoms of sleep apnea include; loud snoring, tiredness and sleepiness during the day, trouble waking up, changes in mood, difficulty focusing and performing daily activities. Most people who suffer from obstructive sleep apnea are not aware of the sleep specific symptoms. Those symptoms are usually recognized by others.

Obstructive sleep apnea is diagnosed by undergoing a sleep study. Due to the diverse amount of factors that contribute to obstructive sleep apnea, there are several different therapeutic approaches to take. Among the most beneficial and effective therapies is CPAP therapy. CPAP is the most widely used and most recommended therapies. CPAP therapy consists of sleeping with a machine that pumps air into their mouth and/or nose. The purpose of this is to maintain a steady amount of pressure so that the muscles in the upper airway do not collapse.   

Some people choose to discontinue the use of their CPAP therapies for different reasons, however it is not recommended. CPAP therapy is intended for long term use in order to prevent the regularity and occurrences of symptoms. The symptoms experienced before CPAP therapy will return unless the symptoms have been fixed by some other means. There are other consequences beside reoccurrences of the obstructive sleep apnea symptoms. Studies have shown that those who get off CPAP therapy experience increases blood pressure, increases in heart rate, insulin resistance, and systemic inflammation. There is a risk of increase in sleepiness, decrease of oxygen in blood, and increases in apneic events. These problems occur very shortly after CPAP therapy is discontinued. The return of obstructive sleep apnea symptoms can occur within 3 days, and the other side effects can occur within two weeks.

Continued use of CPAP therapy will result in the continued benefits that it provides, such as improved sleep, more day time energy, and a significant decrease in snoring. CPAP therapy also provides cardiovascular wellness. The increase of oxygen into the blood stream delivered by the machine helps heart functions, which reduces risk of high blood pressure, stroke, and prevention of various other diseases. CPAP therapy is convenient, affordable, and effective, which is why continuing the therapy should cause little burden on the users.

Common Sleep Apnea Definitions

Common Oxygen Therapy Definitions