What is CPAP?

 

CPAP – abbreviated frrom Continuous Positive Airway Pressure

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CPAP is the most effective treatment for OSA. It was developed in 1980 by an Australian physician in Sydney, Australia. The treatment has been shown to be fully effective at eliminating obstructive sleep apnea.

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How does CPAP work?

 

The patient wears a lightweight mask around their mouth and nose (or just the nose) that is attached to a CPAP device. This provides the necessary pressure to keep the airways open, thereby eliminating OSA.

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The CPAP machine manages pressures automatically, and in response to your breathing pattern. It senses when your airway is becoming blocked and increases the pressure to splint the airway and keep it open. When you start on CPAP and are just getting used to therapy you will probably wake up to find the CPAP device is doing its job, and you will feel the higher pressures. This feels a bit strange to most people just starting on therapy, so when it happens you simply  push the ramp - or reset - button and the pressure returns to the starting minimum pressure. Once you have got used to CPAP this won’t be an issue, and you won't even notice the pressure. It is important to have a good mask fit. A really good mask fit makes a big difference when getting started on CPAP, and one of the reasons support is so important.

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CPAP therapy can result in a significant improvement in just days, although this differs from patient to patient. Generally, therapy becomes settled in around 2 - 4 weeks. A range of mask types are available to optimise comfort and help get you settled on therapy. Nasal mask – completely cushioned and covers just the nose, excellent if the patient moves around during their sleep. Full face mask – a triangular shaped mask which covers both the mouth and nose. This tends to be prescribed if a patient breathes through their mouth whilst asleep or has blockages in their nose, such as a cold or fever. Newer designs sit under the nose rather than acrosss the bridge of the nose and have improved comfort significantly. Nasal pillow mask – a mask which has a small cushion that sits in the nostril base, and can be very effective for people that have large amounts of facial hair.

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CPAP therapy from SleepDoctor

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Continuous Positive Airway Pressure or CPAP therapy is used to treat Obstructive Sleep Apnoea. We provide equipment - CPAP devices and masks - from all major manufacturers. Our Sleep Support Team will contact you to arrange when and where you want your device delivered. It will come with all the instructions, and you will also have help from the Sleep Support Team with device set-up, and to help with ongoing use. It is very important that you are fully supported with CPAP, especially in the early days of treatment. Our experienced team will help you become fully established on therapy, and achieve the full benefit of CPAP.

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CPAP is usually a long-term treatment, and we provide you with long-term support for your therapy. You will be able to monitor your own progress using an app on your smartphone, and we will monitor your therapy data regularly to ensure everything is working as it should.