Home Patient Info CPAP & CPAP Alternatives

​

Sleep Soundly With CPAP Therapy For Sleep Apnea

 

If you’ve been diagnosed with sleep apnea, CPAP therapy can help you regain the sleep you deserve. CPAP devices have made incredible advancements over the years, with modern equipment providing you a comfortable, unobtrusive, quiet way to sleep more soundly—waking refreshed, energized, and ready to take on the day. 

​

What is CPAP?

​

CPAP, or continuous positive airway pressure, is a treatment option for individuals suffering from breathing-related sleep disorders, such as sleep apnea. This eliminates the possibility of a patient’s airway closing during sleep, ensuring adequate oxygenation and optimizing sleep quality.

Continuous positive airway pressure is a proven sleep apnea treatment that can reduce or entirely eliminate fatigue and poor concentration, which are side effects related to poor sleep quality.

Consult our qualified sleep doctor, Dr. Alex A. Clerk, to determine whether CPAP is a good treatment option for you. At SleepMS the, we pride ourselves on helping you improve your sleep one night at a time. We provide both CPAP and CPAP alternatives for sleep apnea treatment.

Why is CPAP used?

CPAP is the gold standard of treatment for sleep apnea. Sleep apnea machines are clinically proven to regularize a patient’s sleep patterns and oxygen levels when used as directed. In addition, secondary effects of sleep apnea, such as daytime fatigue, irritability, and depression may be reduced or eliminated when the CPAP machine is used on a nightly basis, as prescribed.

​

What does CPAP therapy involve?

 

Continuous positive airway pressure therapy is a non-surgical and non-pharmacological approach to sleep apnea treatment. It involves patients applying their CPAP mask each night before bed, which serves as a conduit through which pressurized air is delivered to the airway, thereby preventing collapse. The three parts of the therapy include:

​

• A mask, which is selected from a wide variety of styles and shapes to fit the patient’s face comfortably. A sleep disorder specialist will be able to recommend the option that best fits your needs.

• A tube, which connects the mask to the machine and delivers continuous pressurized air into the patient’s airway.

• The pressurizing and humidifying unit of the machine that is sleek, quiet, and efficient with data download capabilities that help direct therapy.

​

What are the advantages of using CPAP?

 

When used as directed, CPAP therapy has a number of advantages:

​

• Keeps airway open while sleeping, thereby eliminating sleep apnea

• Improves the quality of sleep

• Relieves the symptoms of sleep apnea, such as daytime fatigue

• Prevents or decreases health problems that can result from sleep apnea, such as high blood pressure

• Eliminates snoring

 

Can CPAP Therapy Increase Your Alertness

​

Two of the most common symptoms of sleep apnea are feeling sleepy and fatigued. These symptoms can have a direct impact on your alertness. By helping you return to a normal sleep pattern and improving your breathing while sleeping, CPAP therapy helps you wake up feeling refreshed and alert—a feeling that will continue throughout your day.

​

Can CPAP Therapy Improve Your Concentration?

 

A lack of sleep can impact your decision making and ability to concentrate. This can impact everything you do in both your personal and professional life. With CPAP therapy, you’re better able to get the normal, restful sleep you need, resulting in an increased ability to concentrate and make smart decisions. 

​

Can CPAP Therapy Eliminate Snoring?

​

Snoring doesn’t just impact your sleep, it can also impact those trying to sleep near you. CPAP therapy not only helps to keep your airways open while you are sleeping, but it also reduces or eliminates the sound of your snoring. While you may not notice, your bed partner will benefit from a quieter sleep environment.

​

Does CPAP Equipment Require Maintenance?

 

How and when filters should be cleaned varies from machine to machine. When patients receive their CPAP equipment, a technician or provider will go over how to properly care for the particular model’s filter.

​

Is the Cost of CPAP Equipment Covered by Health Insurance?

 

Because CPAP equipment is used to treat a medical condition, the cost of the equipment is often at least partially covered by health insurance plans. All insurance policies have their own coverages and terms, though, so patients should review their specific policy’s coverages to find out what kind of coverage they have.

​

What Is the Difference Between a CPAP, APAP, and BiPAP Machine?

 

CPAP, APAP and BiPAP equipment all deliver pressure to the airway, and they all are used to treat sleep disorders. CPAP machines deliver a single, constant pressure. BiPAP machines, which are also called BiLevel machines, alternate between two pressures. They deliver a higher pressure on the inhale and a lower pressure during the exhale. APAP machines constantly adjust the pressure they deliver.

Whether a CPAP, APAP or BiPAP machine is best for a particular patient depends on many different factors. During an in-person appointment, a sleep medicine specialist can help patients who need CPAP or other equipment determine which apparatus is most appropriate for them.

​

Sleep Apnea Can Impact Your Entire Life, Not Just Your Sleep

​

If you’re living with sleep apnea, everything from your decision-making skills at work, to your ability to safely drive your vehicle can be affected. CPAP therapy is the best solution for treating sleep apnea and can help you get the restful sleep you deserve to regain control of your life.

​

Dr. Clerk has been the sleep specialists at SleepMS for over 20 years and has been helping patients just like you achieve natural, restful sleep. In doing so, our patients are improving their health and seeing an increase in their energy levels and happiness. If you’re ready to begin your CPAP therapy, our online store has the supplies you need to get started.

​