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CPAP therapy is the most effective treatment of choice for obstructive sleep apnea. Using a CPAP machine can cause the nasal passages to dry out, especially in the winter months. A heated humidifier will help with this problem.

Research has shown that providing patients with heated humidity will help to prevent nasal side effects, such as dryness, runny nose or congestion. Exposure to cold dry air is the primary cause of these symptoms.

When nasal congestion develops, it becomes difficult for the person using CPAP to breathe in and out through their nose. This results in the mouth falling open and the pressurized air escaping, reducing the benefit of the pressure being given to the patient.

The comfort level of wearing CPAP will also be reduced when nasal side effects occur. The compliance of a patient in wearing their CPAP is directly affected by the level of comfort they experience. The more comfortable they are, the more hours they will be willing to wear CPAP at night and the better sleep they will get.

When a patient feels as if they have more problems when using CPAP therapy than when not using it, compliance will be reduced. It is important for anyone who uses CPAP to be given any alternative available to help with comfort.

Humidification without heat, known as cold pass-over humidification, can be used when patients complain of nasal symptoms after the initiation of CPAP. These types of humidifiers are not as effective in treating the symptoms, however, because they are unable to add warmth and moisture to the CPAP air.

Cold pass-over humidification has not been shown to provide an increase in the number of hours used by the patient in comparison to using no form of humidification.

Recent studies have shown that those who used a heated humidifier as part of their CPAP equipment had an increase in the number of hours they wear their CPAP. This increase was an average of 1.5 hours.

Heated humidifiers are used on a routine basis now as compared to five or ten years ago. Many CPAP units come with the humidifier already built in that can be adjusted with or without the heat turned on. These types of units are the best CPAP equipment to use.

CPAP is an acronym that stands for continuous positive airway pressure. It is a form of therapy used for people who have obstructive sleep apnea. Sometimes the continuous pressure of CPAP is uncomfortable for the person using it. If that happens, BIPAP may be an alternative.

Though BIPAP therapy is similar to CPAP and will get the same results for the sufferer using it, it does have some differences. CPAP therapy gives one constant pressure for both inhalation and exhalation when breathing. BIPAP has two settings, instead of a constant one. When a person breathes in the pressure is higher and when they exhale, it is lower.

Some patients have difficulty with the pressure of CPAP, especially when exhaling, so BIPAP can be a solution for that.

Another difference between BIPAP and CPAP is that BIPAP is used to treat more than just obstructive sleep apnea. Some BIPAP machines can be set to give a person a breath. This would be used with central sleep apnea or complex sleep apnea, when the patient is having apneas because the brain signal does not make it to the chest muscles properly.

It is also a good device for a person with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). People with COPD have low oxygen levels during the night when they sleep. Their lungs are stressed. A BIPAP unit can help them to breathe more comfortably, while also sustaining their oxygen levels at a normal percentage.

Some of the new BIPAP machines have a feature called Biflex. This is a comfort setting which provides a smoother transition from the end of inspiration to the beginning of expiration.

Complications from BIPAP are similar to those of CPAP. There may be mask discomfort. It is crucial to find the best fitting mask or sores may develop at certain pressure points on the mask.

Bloating from swallowing air can be another complication, but does not happen very often.

Your doctor can help decide which form of PAP therapy will be best for you by taking your history and the results of your tests into consideration.

If you think you may have sleep apnea, you can avoid long term complications by seeking out a sleep disorders physician and being tested. The sooner you start your therapy for sleep apnea, the less likely you will be to develop other health problems associated with it.