CPAP Therapy

 

Positive airway pressure (PAP) machines are the basis of treating obstructive sleep apnea. Over the years, with the development of different PAP models with different features, it’s getting more and more confusing to differentiate all these machine from one another, especially since various manufacturers use different names for certain models and comfort features.

 

As a summary, CPAP stands for continuous positive airway pressure. These machines blow a constant level of positive air pressure through a mask into your nose (or nose and mouth). Bilevel PAP refers to a machine that delivers two different pressure levels, where a higher pressure is used during inhalation and a much lower pressure is given during exhalation. BiPAP is actually a registered brand name from Respironics. Auto-titrating PAP machines adjust your pressures as needed. 

 

Ultimately, it’s not which model or which form of therapy is better, but start with the CPAP basics. Make sure that you’re using it properly. If it doesn’t work, talk with you doctor to discuss other PAP options. If PAP therapy doesn’t work, then consider non-PAP options.