CPAP machines may not immediately feel comfortable for all users. Individuals should work with their providers to increase comfort and compliance, try different mask types or sizes and use add-on features like a humidifier chamber or different pressure settings.

In an out of hospital setting, at first CPAP patients should be monitored in a sleep lab where the optimal pressure is often determined by a technologist manually titrating settings to minimize apnea. A sleep doctor or pulmonologist can help find the most comfortable mask, trial a humidifier chamber in the machine, or use a different CPAP machine that allows multiple or auto-adjusting pressure settings.

John Logan Brown says: November 29, 2018 at 9:51 pm I love my CPAP. Embrace it as your best friend. I have used that mentality from the beginning. Positive thoughts while ignoring the inconvenience. I adopted this approach after hearing a few of my friends (before my diagnosis) who said that they were put on CPAP and couldn’t get used to it and discontinued it’s use. Please everybody consider the CPAP as a friend who is going to save your life. My sleep study showed that I experienced about 100 interruptions an hour and that my oxygen level was at 64.

It may take a few months, but the good news is that when your CPAP treatment does start working for you, you will feel less tired and better than you have in awhile.

Continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) is a type of positive airway pressure, where the air flow is introduced into the airways to maintain a continuous pressure to constantly stent the airways open, in people who are breathing spontaneously. Positive end-expiratory pressure (PEEP) is the pressure in the alveoli above atmospheric pressure at the end of expiration. CPAP is a way of delivering PEEP but also maintains the set pressure throughout the respiratory cycle, during both inspiration and expiration.

Built-in humidifier with preheat setting may help with CPAP side effects like dry mouth and nasal irritation

Bilevel positive airway pressure (BiPAP): BiPAP machines introduce positive pressure into your upper airway and lungs to keep your airway open and prevent it from narrowing or collapsing. BiPAP machines can be set to different pressures for breathing in and out.

Best clinical practices for the sleep center adjustment of noninvasive positive pressure ventilation (NPPV) in stable chronic alveolar hypoventilation syndromes.

A number of surgeries can reduce apnea events, though the evidence for their efficacy is limited to small studies. 

Nasal EPAP is an emerging treatment for OSA that uses the individual’s own breath to keep their airway open. This therapy utilizes disposable valves that are secured into or over the nostrils. When the sleeper exhales, the valves block airflow and create enough pressure to keep the airway open.

Although both weight loss and CPAP treatment are considered effective ways of reducing OSA symptoms, research is conflicting.

These evaluations are also based on material and design quality, features, and other noteworthy product attributes.

CPAP is often prescribed by the primary care provider, nurse practitioner, internist and the neurologist for patients with obstructive sleep apnea. However, in order to have good compliance, patient education is vital. Many patients use these devices unable to use or get consistent benefit from Continuous Positive Airway Pressure (CPAP) for a short time because of discomfort.

Bubble CPAP is a mode of delivering CPAP used in neonates and infants where the pressure in the circuit is maintained by immersing the distal end of the expiratory tubing in water.[seis] The depth of the tubing in water determines the pressure (CPAP) generated. Blended and humidified oxygen is delivered via nasal prongs or nasal masks and as the gas flows through the system, it “bubbles” out the expiratory tubing into the water, giving a characteristic sound.