Pros & Cons Of Using CPAP Machine

Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) occurs when a person’s tongue/fatty tissue in the throat fall back into the airways causing a blockage of airflow. This is obviously a very dangerous thing that can potentially lead to more serious health concerns such as cardiovascular issues. One solution to OSA is the CPAP machine (which stands for Continuous Positive Airway Pressure). This machine essentially uses room air and sends it to a patient’s upper airway in order to prevent it from closing in (due to sleep apnea). Usually, there is a pump and air mask involved in this process. Here are some pros and cons of getting CPAP therapy treatment for your sleep apnea:

Pros To Using CPAP

• Readjust Your Breathing Pattern
  Using the CPAP machine will decrease the chances of you waking up in the middle of the night which ultimately allows you to have a healthier and better sleep schedule. Thus, allowing your breathing to continue without any interruptions throughout the night. This adds to the overall quality of your sleep and drastically improves it. Therefore, you will feel more positive and refreshed during the daytime as opposed to feeling sleep deprived all day.
• Lessens Snoring
  Using a CPAP machine prevents people from snoring due to the fact that your upper airway is completely open as a result of the air that is being pushed through it by the machine. Snoring and sleep apnea is a very bad combination because all snoring does is that it eventually decreases your quality of sleep. So, taking snoring out of the picture will help you sleep better and quicker.
• Improves Overall Mental State
  People usually tend to be grumpy and irritated after having a poor night’s of sleep (for obvious reasons). By defeating sleep apnea and having a great quality of sleep, depressions and mental exhaustion risks go down immensely. Also, the physical side effects of CPAP such as lessening blood pressure and eliminating other health problems lead to a better mood.

 Cons To Using CPAP

•  Can Complicate Allergies
  Since the CPAP machine pumps air into the patient’s airways, this could potentially affect your nasal passages and lead to things like congestion, a runny nose, throat irritation, coughs as well as worsen any allergies you may already be dealing with.
• Makes Sleeping More Difficult
  Having the CPAP mask on requires you to sleep on your back. For many, this makes sleeping more uncomfortable and difficult as most people prefer sleeping through the night while on their side.
• Feeling Air Flow Can Be Uncomfortable
  One of the most difficult things about adjusting yourself to sleeping with a CPAP mask on is trying to get used to the cycle of air flow being released into your mouth and nose(it is a very strange and indescribable feeling. A lot of patients can never get used to it because of how high the pressure of incoming airflow can be.