About 18 million American adults are living with sleep apnea, with twice as many men having the condition than women. While this condition can give a person cause to change some of their sleeping habits, it is certainly possible to finally get a great night’s sleep. It just takes a little help to get them there, possibly in the form of a bilevel positive airway pressure or BiPAP mask or CPAP or continuous positive airway pressure machine.
What Exactly Is Sleep Apnea? Are There Risks?
You might know that sleep apnea has something to do with your body having trouble breathing during the night, which wakes you up a little, which makes you sleep deprived. But did you know that during an average night, a suffer of sleep apnea might have as many as 60 apneas? That’s number is not per night, it’s per hour.
People who have sleep apnea and do not treat the problem are at a higher risk for other health diseases. They are three times as likely to suffer from heart disease as those without, and four times as likely to have a stroke. Not treating sleep apnea will do more than make a person lose sleep, it can clearly put them at risk for other conditions as well, many of them life threatening.
When and Why a BiPAP Mask Might Be Your Ticket to a Great Night of Sleep.
The bilevel positive airway pressure mask provides its user with two pressures. One is for inhalations, the IPAP, and the second is for exhalations, the EPAP. This is great for people who are unable to adjust their breathing to the airway pressure of a CPAP machine. Sleep apnea suffers with central sleep apnea (CSP) can also benefit from using a BiPAP mask.
CPAP Masks: Single Airway Pressure.
For those who do not have CSP, or congestive heart failure (CHF), or chronic obstructive pulmonary disorder (COPD), the central positive airway pressure helps them just fine. The CPAP mask helps keep a person’s central airway from collapsing during sleep. Just like with the BiPAP mask, the CPAP delivers this positive stream of air via a mask a person wears all night. It does take a few nights to get used to the sensation of having something on your face.
Although many people dislike having to wear a mask to bed, the benefits are absolutely worth it. Sleep apnea is a serious problem with far-reaching consequences if left untreated. If you or someone you know are suffering from sleep apnea, look into treatment options today so you can find relief tomorrow.
