Sleep Apnea Education
What is sleep apnea?
Do you snore? Do you wake up gasping for air? Do you often feel sleepy during the day? These are signs of sleep apnea, a dangerous but often undiagnosed condition that keeps you from having a good night’s sleep.
Sleep causes your breathing to stop or become very shallow. You may stop breathing for just a few seconds or for several minutes, and these episodes may occur 30 or more times an hour, all night long. Each time you stop breathing, it interrupts your sleep. You may not realize you’re doing this, because you don’t wake fully.
The most common type is obstructive sleep apnea, in which your airway collapses or becomes blocked during sleep. Normal breathing starts again with a snort or choking sound. You may snore loudly.
Who is at risk for sleep apnea?
About 12 million Americans have sleep apnea, but many don’t know it. You’re more at risk for sleep apnea if you’re overweight or obese, male, 60 years of age or older, or a smoker. Your risk also increases if you have a narrow airway, have a family history of sleep apnea, or use alcohol, sedatives, or tranquilizers. Doctors diagnose sleep apnea based on medical and family histories, a physical exam, and sleep study results.
Untreated sleep apnea can lead to high blood pressure, heart attack, stroke, obesity, and diabetes. It raises your risk of dementia and heart failure and boosts your chances of developing arrhythmias – irregular heartbeats. You’re also more likely to have an accident while driving. About 5,000 to 6,000 fatal vehicle crashes are caused by drowsy drivers annually.
Do I have sleep apnea? - Click here to begin testing.
What is CPAP (Continuous Positive Airway Pressure)?
In CPAP, mild air pressure is used to keep your airways open. You use a CPAP machine each night when you go to sleep. The machine has three main parts:
- A mask that fits over your nose or your nose and your mouth. Straps keep the mask in place.
- A tube connecting the mask to the machine's motor.
- A motor that blows air into the tube. The mild air pressure keeps your airway open.
Many CPAP machines also have humidifiers to moisten and heat the air, which helps keep your nose and mouth from getting dry. The machines are small, lightweight, and fairly quiet; they make a soft and rhythmic noise.
What is BiPAP (Bilevel Positive Airway Pressure)?
A BiPAP machine also can be used to treat sleep apnea. It has the same parts as a CPAP machine, but delivers two levels of pressure:
- High pressure when you inhale (Inspiratory Positive Airway Pressure, or IPAP)
- Low pressure when you exhale (Expiratory Positive Airway Pressure, or EPAP)
BiPAP is used to treat severe obstructive sleep apnea and central sleep apnea, a less common disorder in which your brain doesn’t send the right signals to the muscles that enable you to breathe. As a result, you don’t breathe at all for brief periods. BiPAP is also prescribed for people with respiratory and heart diseases.
What is the difference between a CPAP machine and a BiPAP machine?
.
CPAP
- Used primarily for obstructive sleep apnea
- Has one level of air pressure
BiPAP
- Used for central sleep apnea, though it can be used for obstructive sleep apnea and may be prescribed for people with respiratory and heart diseases.
- Has two levels of air pressure, high when you inhale and low when you exhale
- May be more comfortable than a CPAP machine if you need higher air pressure to keep your airways open, because the pressure drops as you exhale.