How To Choose a Comfortable CPAP Mask

Posted by Apnea
Categorized Under: Sleep Apnea Breathing Machine
Dated: 14 Dec 2009
Comments: 0

The pause of flow of air intake while sleeping is called as “sleep apnea”. This sleeping disorder makes the patient miss one or two breaths while he is asleep. This cycle continues frequently, making the person wake up completely and thereby disrupting the sleep pattern. Thankfully, with the advancements in medical technology there is a perfect solution for this sleeping problem. The use of “continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) Mask” is the best treatment available today for sleep apnea. These CPAP machines where invented by Professor Colin Sullivan in 1981. The CPAP masks commonly referred as the “breathing machines” helps the people to keep the air passage of the body open, so that they can breathe without any interruption. Though the CPAP mask helps the people to sleep well without disruption, many of them find it very much difficult to adjust to the new sleep regimen. Hence it is very much important to choose the CPAP mask that gives a perfect fit.Understanding the working principle of the CPAP masks will help you to choose the best comfortable machine for overcoming the sleeping problem. The CPAP masks resemble the looks of a ventilator but have a very different working principle. Unlike the ventilators, the CPAP machines open up the air passage by creating a positive pressure. These machines only push the air into the respiratory system during the sleep apnea cycle. I.e. These machines only help during the intake of air and the air exhaust is done by our body itself.Wearing the CPAP masks during sleep can make people feel uncomfortable, especially if the mask is bulky, hard, heavy, and noisy or causes skin irritation. People using the CPAP masks face five main problems such as air leakage, pressure from headgear, limited sleep positions, skin irritation and noise. However, with the advancements in technology, all these 5 difficulties have been overcome. The “Cloth Nasal Mask” is a new product that allows the people to continue their CPAP therapy without experiencing the 5 main problems of the conventional CPAP machines. This is how the Cloth Nasal Mask overcomes the difficulties faced by using the conventional CPAP machines:1. The cloth material inflates like a balloon, hugging the skin and thereby reducing the air leakage2. Very little tension is needed in the headgear because you don’t need to keep tightening to headgear to get a good seal.3. With no rigid buckles, clips or faceplates you can sleep in any position of your preference.4. As a non-allergic cloth is used, there are reduced chances for skin irritation5. These cloth masks make use of exhalation holes instead of an exhaust valve so only negligible level of noise is produced. CPAP therapy will be effective only if continue with it, which you will do only if you feel comfortable with the mask used. Hence it is always good to choose the “Cloth Nasal Mask” that eliminates the 5 main factors that causes discomfort.

Understanding Sleep Apnea

Posted by Apnea
Categorized Under: Sleep Apnea
Dated: 12 Nov 2009
Comments: 0

The sleeping problem called sleep apnea is well known today. Certain pauses in the air intake that cause the patients to wake up throughout the night are a major problem faced by many people. People with this sleeping disorder will feel drowsy with severe headache when they wake up. Their whole day will be ruined because of their drowsiness. This article is all about sleep apnea and the treatment options that are available today for this dangerous sleeping disorder.Types Of Sleep ApneaSleep Apnea is classified into three main types such as:Central sleep apnea (CSA), Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA), and Mixed sleep apnea Before explaining about the different types of this sleeping disorder, we’d like to say that all types of sleep apnea will have the same effects: sleeplessness, drowsiness and severe headache. Now let’s explain more about the three different types of sleep apnea.1. Central Sleep Apnea (CSA)The central type of sleep apnea is closely associated with the brain impulses. Under certain conditions, the brain will fail to send the impulse required to stimulate breathing resulting in some discontinued breath cycle. Central sleep apnea is occurs more often in people who have heart disease, cerebrovascular disease, or congenital diseases. Recent researches indicate that central sleep apnea will can occur as a result of consuming certain kinds of medication.2. Obstructive Sleep Apnea (OSA)This sleeping disorder is caused due to the narrowing of the air passage than normal. The obstructive sleep apnea can be related to many other medical problems such as high blood pressure, Heart problems, Weight gain, Constant tiredness, Diabetes, Slow metabolism, Memory/concentration problems, Depression, Anxiety, Sore throat and Dry mouth. 3. Mixed sleep apneaAs the name indicates, this type of sleep apnea is a combination of both central sleep apnea and obstructive sleep apnea. The treatment options available for Sleep apnea:Unlike the past, today there are many treatment options available for the treatment of this sleeping disorder. CPAP therapy is widely used for the treatment of sleep apnea. This therapy involves air that is pushed into the respiratory system with the help of a special device called a CPAP machine. The machine is hooked up to a CPAP mask that resembles a ventilator in looks and pumps air into the air passage when the sleep apnea cycle occurs.The Difficulties of using CPAP masksPeople using the CPAP masks have reported five main difficulties like:* Air leakage* Pressure from headgear* Limited sleep positions* Skin irritation* NoiseThe Solution:All the 5 difficulties associated with the traditional CPAP masks are overcome by a technological breakthrough. Various researches confirm that the latest invention called “SleepWeaver CPAP mask” eliminates all the 5 difficulties involved in the traditional CPAP therapy.