Originally designed by Australian professor Colin Sullivan in 1981, the CPAP machine offers sufferers of sleep apnea relief from their affliction as well as ventilation for the critically ill. The BiPAP machine was created a short time later for the same purpose. While both machines supply patients with a continuous supply of air, they each work differently to keep the airways open.
What Is Sleep Apnea?
An estimated twelve million adults in America suffer with this condition, which is found most often in men. It causes you to temporarily stop breathing, or take a smaller breath than normal while you are asleep. This can happen up to approximately thirty times per hour and can last up to minutes at a time.
While it can be caused by a number of different things, the most common reason is genetic. Some sufferers experience this condition because their throat muscles or even their tongue relax too much blocking the windpipe. It could be a misshaped airway or a smaller neck or head. Obesity or ineffective brain signals can also interrupt breathing.
These pauses might not seem that serious, but it causes everything from snoring and a lack of energy to heart conditions, diabetes, and an increase in accidents due to decreased alertness. Some forms of sleep apnea require nothing more than small lifestyle changes such as a diet. For types of this condition that involve an obstruction, treatment requires the use a machine likely for the rest of the patient's life.
The CPAP Machine
Also known as a Continuous Positive Airway Pressure Machine, this technology helps patients suffering from sleep apnea caused by an obstruction. As the name suggests, it supplies the individual's lungs with a steady stream of air at an even pressure.
The CPAP machine produces the air, which it pumps through a small tube that connects to a special apparatus on or near the patient's mouth or nose. This could include a full face mask, a nose mask, or a special pillow. Because this stream is strong enough to hold the airway open, it prevents the obstruction from stopping the airflow eliminating apnea attacks.
The BiPAP Machine
The BiPap machine helps those who are not receiving optimal benefits from CPAP therapy. Short for Bilevel Positive Airway Pressure, this machine has two separate settings - a higher one for inhalation (IPAP) and a lower one for exhalation (EPAP). These pressures assist in pushing a breath in and a breath out when one's respiratory system needs assistance and helps establish a natural rhythm.
These two levels can be set for a specific rate (called 'Timed'), have special sensors that detect the individual's breathing pattern (referred to as 'Spontaneous'), or it can use both methods. Most experts prefer the dual system to help the patient if they should happen to stop breathing properly despite the airflow.
For those suffering with sleep apnea, a CPAP machine or a BiPAP machine is the only real treatment available. Unfortunately, it is also a lifelong treatment for many. Thankfully, recent advancements in this area have made it easier to find the support and help you need to deal with this issue. This means more and more sufferers are finding relief and leading a happier and healthier life.
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