Why A Sleep Apnea Machine?

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Recently, obstructive sleep apnea, (OSA), has become very common, as more people are diagnosed with the disorder. It can affect adults and even some children suffer from sleep apnea. People with this condition tend to notice a steady decline in their activities of daily living. Thus, if left unresolved, sleep apnea can pose a reduction in a person’s well-being.

OSA can have many different signs and symptoms. The primary symptom is excessive fatigue and sleepiness. This is due to the individual not breathing or going ‘apneic’ throughout the night due to collapsed airways. Many times people will wake up in the middle of the night choking and short of breath.

A physician would be the person who can diagnose the condition and most likely the patient will have to undergo a sleep study. This documents the patient’s breathing pattern throughout the night and measures how many time the patient stops breathing. Once the patient is diagnosed, a patient is prescribed a sleep apnea machine. This machine sends pressurized air to the patient’s airway to keep it from collapsing.

By far, this home sleep machine is the preferred treatment for OSA. The unit will help keep the patient asleep allowing them to feel more refreshed in the morning. In order for the therapy to be effective, the patient must use the CPAP machine every night. Some issues with patient compliance include using an uncomfortable mask which can feel restrictive.

Other issues may include a dry nose and throat, irritation of the face, and feeling claustrophobic. A physician can best advise the patients on the proper way to relief these issues. Unfortunately, there are some patients who, despite their best efforts, are unable to adapt to their home sleep unit.

The good news about using a home sleep apnea machine is that it is very effective for most patients. As a matter of fact, it works for about 85 percent of the patients who use it. This helps patients energize their lives by getting quality sleep and allows them to function normally on a day to day basis.