New to CPAP Machine? Here’s What You Need to Know

Have you recently been prescribed a CPAP machine? Get the 411 on what you need to know.

Overview

If you have sleep apnea and your doctor has prescribed using a CPAP machine as part of your treatment, then it’s likely you’ve got a lot of questions on just what the heck is expected from you. If this sounds like something that may relate to you, then read on for an overview. We’ll be discussing what exactly is needed from patients in order to make CPAP use work effectively and getting the answers to some FAQs about going through the process.

CPAP stands for continuous positive airway pressure. It is used to treat sleep apnea, a condition where breathing is temporarily stopped during sleep. CPAP uses pressurized air to keep the upper airway open and allow normal breathing to continue. There are two types of best cpap machines: one that covers both your nose and mouth (called a full face mask) and one that covers just your nose (called a nasal pillow or nasal mask).

A CPAP machine is prescribed for a period of at least four weeks as part of a diagnosis. During this trial period, it is used nightly to monitor how you react to using the machine at night. If you don’t feel like your sleep quality has improved after this time, then the doctor may try different pressures or flow rates before ultimately deciding whether or not you need to use a CPAP machine nightly in order to stay healthy. If this is the case, then the patient will be instructed to purchase one and use it on a regular basis as needed.