CPAP via face mask: A full face mask is placed over the nose and mouth with a good seal. It can be used for those that are mouth breathers, or for pre-oxygenation in spontaneously breathing patients prior to intubation.
The Inspire system is controlled by a small handheld sleep remote. Simply turn Inspire on before bed and off in the morning when you wake up.
Each device includes myAir, a digital assistant that provides voice-guided video instructions the first few times you use the machine. For the first month of therapy, you’ll receive check-ins and CPAP coaching based on your medical history.
Luckily, there are alternative options to CPAP therapy for people experiencing difficulty using a CPAP device. Read on to learn more, including expert insight into what these alternatives are and whether they’re effective.
While lifestyle changes like exercise, weight loss and modified sleeping positions can be helpful, these modifications may not be enough to improve moderate to severe OSA on their own, and an alternative treatment like a custom oral appliance might be suggested to open the airway.
“This approach can involve using special pillows designed to support the head and neck for side-sleeping, wearable devices that detect and alert you when you roll onto your back during sleep, or even shirts or vests with built-in mechanisms that make sleeping on your back uncomfortable,” she added.
A CPAP machine is a device that delivers constant air pressure into the airway through a motor that blows air into a tube-connected mask, allowing the airway to stay open during inhalation and exhalation. The mask is worn either in a user’s nostrils or over their nose and mouth during sleep.
CPAP can aid oxygenation via PEEP prior to placement of an artificial airway during endotracheal intubation.
Lifestyle change including weight loss and exercise can help to improve sleep apnea and its related health problems. Sleep positioning and oral appliances have also been found to be effective.
Surgery often alters the shape and position of the soft palate, which is the rear portion of the roof of the mouth. UPPP is the most common type of surgery used to treat OSA.
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Some doctors click here may recommend bariatric surgery to aid in weight loss. Physical therapy and positional therapy may also improve symptoms.
Also called auto-adjusting CPAP or auto-titrating BPAP, this technology can be added to CPAP or BiPAP devices to allow the machine to automatically adjust air pressure as needed during the night.
Research shows that losing excess weight can reduce the severity of OSA symptoms. A combination of a change in diet and moderate exercise may be recommended. However, weight loss alone cannot completely eliminate OSA.