The leading cause of death in the hospital is infection usually caused by staff, patients, and visitors not washing their hands. Respiratory supplies were changed every forty-eight hours to help prevent respiratory infections. When I got into home
health I recognized that patients were not changing their CPAP supplies. I discovered that a lot of patients did not know that most insurance companies would pay for these new supplies. They were very thankful; some of them had never received a new CPAP mask or supplies. Thus the Supply Program was born! My hope in this article is that you will find out how to recognize symptoms associated with Sleep Apnea, learn some new terms, and discover the proper treatment to help you
sleep better.

Sleep Apnea Diagnosis

Sleep Apnea can be best defined as someone who stops breathing while sleeping. According to the American Sleep Apnea Association this affects more than twelve  million Americans alone! There are three types of Sleep Apnea: Central,
Mixed, and Obstructive Sleep Apnea (OSA). The most common form of Sleep Apnea is OSA, which is caused by an obstruction or collapse of the airway. For example, the tongue, palate, orepiglottis can obstruct the airway. Central Sleep Apnea is
caused when the brain fails to tell the muscles to breathe. Mixed Sleep Apnea is a mixture of both Central and Obstructive Sleep Apnea. Untreated Sleep Apnea can cause Congestive Heart Failure, Diabetes, High Blood Pressure, Headaches, Weight
Gain, and Motor Vehicle Accidents. Since most people are not familiar with the symptoms of Sleep Apnea it is most often overlooked and undiagnosed.

Testing for Sleep Apnea with the Edgeworth Sleep Test

A Sleep Test is the most common tool used to diagnose Sleep Apnea. During the sleep  test usually half the night will be spent diagnosing whether the patient does have Sleep Apnea. The second portion of the test will be spent using CPAP
equipment to document any improvement and measure its effectiveness. The most common test for symptoms is the Epworth Sleepiness Scale. This is not a diagnosis but simply a guideline to indicateto your physician that you may have Sleep
Apnea and may require a sleep study. If you suspect that you or a loved one may suffer from Sleep Apnea try answering the following questions:

How likely are you to doze off or fall asleep in the situations described below, in contrast to feeling just tired?
This refers to your usual way of life in recent times. Even if you haven’t done some of these things recently try to work out how they would have affected you. Use the following scale to choose the most appropriate number for each situation:

0 = would never doze
1 = Slight chance of dozing
2 = Moderate chance of dozing
3 = High chance of dozing

Situation Chance of dozing

Sitting and reading
Watching TV
Sitting, inactive in a public place (e.g. a theatre or a meeting)
As a passenger in a car for an hour without a break
Lying down to rest in the afternoon when circumstances permit
Sitting and talking to someone
Sitting quietly after a lunch without alcohol
In a car, while stopped for a few minutes in the traffic

Total

_____________
_____________
_____________
_____________
_____________
_____________
_____________
_____________

_____________

Score:

0-10 NORMAL RANGE
10-12 BORDERLINE
12-24 ABNORMAL

Treatment With CPAP Equipment

CPAP (Continuous Positive Airway Pressure) is the most common treatment for patients who have been diagnosed for Sleep Apnea. The amount of pressure being delivered with a CPAP machine is usually determined by your sleep study
and varies for each person. This equipment is only available through an order written by your physician. The biggest problem associated with CPAP is the patient’s inability to tolerate air pressure, the type of cpap mask used, or poor cpap mask fitting. Over a period of time many patients do get used to the pressure from CPAP with practice. I
have found that an excellent way to alleviate the discomfort especially during this learning phase is to use the “ramp” feature. The patient can use this feature anytime they are having difficulty tolerating the pressure from CPAP. The
“ramp” feature reduces the pressure dramatically and within 30-45 minutes the pressure slowly builds up until optimal pressure has been reached again. The patient will usually fall asleep during this period and not notice the increased air
pressure.

BiLevel or BiPAP (Bilevel Positive Airway Pressure) is designed for patients who have a high pressure prescribed or who have trouble tolerating the pressure associated with CPAP. BiPap has two pressures. Inspiratory (inhalation) and
Expiratory (exhalation) The Expiratory pressure is dramatically reduced so the patient can tolerate BiPAP. Although this equipment is much more expensive than CPAP most insurance companies will pay for it with the proper documentation.

In conclusion, there are many types of equipment and supplies to treat Sleep Apnea. Selecting the right equipment to handle your personal pressure settings along with a comfortable mask and the right filters and cushions can be quite
confusing. Therefore, it is important that you select a company that can not only provide you with quality CPAP machines and CPAP supplies but also with personal service customized for your particular needs. The very best durable medical
equipment companies are awarded the Gold Seal of Approval by the Joint Commission so that is also something to look for when selecting a company. Lastly, select a company that specializes in Sleep Apnea equipment and service for your best
chance at achieving your goal to sleep better now!

About The Author:

Lloyd Mote is a licensed Respiratory Therapist with over twenty years of experience. He is also the Chief Executive
Officer and founder of Americare Respiratory Services, Inc., which has been awarded the Gold Seal of Approval from the Joint Commission.

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The Differences Between the CPAP and the BiPAP

The CPAP machine is designed to increase the pressure when you inhale to keep the airways in the nose, throat and mouth from closing while you are sleeping. This has been a great help to many people who suffer from sleep apnea and may stop breathing several times a night.

On the other hand, the BiPAP machine may help as well. Using the same setup as a CPAP with tubing, masks and a machine, the BiPAP uses a different setting. The CPAP uses one pressure and the BiPAP uses two. These two pressures are called inhalation pressure (IPAP) and the exhalation pressure (EPAP).

Where the CPAP works as the person using it inhales, the BiPAP provides more breathing assistance. They have been prescribed for patients who have congestive heart failure and other serious diseases affecting the heart and lungs. People with nerve and muscle problems may also benefit from the BiPAP machine rather than the CPAP machine.

The BiPAP is preset with two settings. The pressure when inhaling and exhaling is monitored. When the person sleeping does not breathe for a certain mount of time, the BiPAP increases pressure and forces them to take a breath. There are higher level CPAP machines that do this as well. These machines need a BPM (breathes per minute) setting that is targeted to your particular breathing needs.

Both machines are designed to make sure the users breathe a set number of times per minute. One of the main benefits of the BiPAP machine is the pressure is decreased as the person breathes out. This keeps them from having to work as hard at breathing and the person is able to have a more restful sleep.

The BiPAP machine is not large or noisy. They are designed to make the least amount of noise possible so you can sleep. The inclusion of a humidifier may be included with the BiPAP making it a higher end machine than the CPAP.

The main difference between these two machines will be the needs of the patient. The one that will help each individual with the specific breathing problems they have will be based on doctor’s examinations and recommendations. A sleep test will be conducted to allow the doctor to see exactly what settings are needed on the type of machine required.

The CPAP machine will be used for mild sleep apnea. Make no mistake, this can be a dangerous condition. It just depends on the levels of sleep apnea to govern the needed machine. Both machines are quite beneficial and are crucial to keeping sleepers breathing when they have problems.

In conclusion, remember, the sleep apnea machines are not designed to be used as ventilators. They do not breathe for you. They merely make sure you take the number of breaths per minute that your doctor believes is right for you. After doing tests to determine what the correct number may be, the doctor will advise you as to which machine he thinks you need.

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