In medicine, snoring is a sound phenomenon, a vibration that occurs when air passes through a narrowed airway. This condition is not an independent disease. Snoring always indicates the presence of a pathological process in the body. In addition, noisy inhalation and exhalation of air significantly impairs the quality of night sleep and the life of other family members in general. Snoring is also a he alth hazard. Often its consequence is the occurrence of obstructive sleep apnea syndrome. This is a pathology characterized by frequent episodes of respiratory arrest during sleep. In order to get rid of snoring, doctors often prescribe CPAP therapy to patients. The device can be purchased at medical equipment stores. But the doctor must select the device. This is the only way to achieve improvements and not harm your he alth.
Cipap therapy: concept
It is currently the most effective treatment for both snoring and sleep apnea. It is important to know that CPAP therapy is a method that involves the use of a specialdevice. This is a small device consisting of a mask and a compressor. The first must be worn on the face just before going to bed at night.
The compressor is designed to force air into the mask at a certain pressure.
The principle of action of sipap therapy is as follows. During the operation of the device, air enters through the tube into the mask. Due to this, the airways of a sleeping person are inflated with a flow having a certain pressure indicator. Modern appliances also have a built-in humidifier. It is designed to make the passage of air masses as comfortable as possible.
According to medical reviews, CPAP therapy is prescribed to eliminate blockage of the airways. Accordingly, the risk of sleep apnea is significantly reduced.
Positive effects on the body:
- sleep is normalized, a person wakes up easily in the morning, and in the afternoon he is not bothered by drowsiness;
- minimizing the risk of stroke and myocardial infarction;
- increasing the degree of efficiency;
- improvement of mental activity;
- increase concentration;
- significant improvement in memory.
It is important to know that CPAP is not a short term treatment. In severe cases, patients sleep with a mask on for the rest of their lives. However, it does not interfere with rest at all. According to patient reviews, CPAP therapy really normalizes sleep. Already on the first night, snoring disappears, and in the morning it is absentfeeling overwhelmed and sleep deprived.
Indications
If a person suffers from pauses in breathing during sleep, it is necessary to undergo a somnological examination beforehand. It allows you to find out the apnea index. If this indicator is 20 or more, sipap therapy is mandatory.
If the apnea index is less than 20, the indications for treatment are the following conditions:
- daytime sleepiness, but almost impossible to overcome;
- insomnia of any kind;
- memory deterioration;
- impaired concentration;
- psycho-emotional instability, most often a person is irritated or depressed;
- presence of pathologies of a cardiovascular nature (CHD, arterial hypertension).
If a person has a mild form of sleep apnea, but does not have all of the above conditions, CPAP therapy is not prescribed.
Contraindications
Like any other treatment, this method has a number of limitations. Doctors say that CPAP therapy is a method that has no absolute contraindications.
With caution it is assigned to persons suffering from:
- bullous lung disease;
- eye infections that often recur;
- chronic sinusitis;
- severe respiratory failure;
- severely dehydrated;
- low pressure;
- frequent nosebleeds.
To assess the feasibility of prescribing CPAP therapy, the doctor collects an anamnesis. Care should be taken to treat people who have had pneumothorax, pneumocephalus, pneumomediastinum, distress syndrome, CSF leakage in the past, as well as people who have recently undergone surgery on the pituitary gland, brain, inner or middle ear.
Inpatient procedure
CPap therapy is carried out at home. However, the first time you need to go through it in a medical institution. The procedure takes a long time. This is due to the need to carry out a number of studies and select the most comfortable mask.
Diagnosis is carried out in a sleep laboratory. The first step is a comprehensive examination of the patient. It includes:
- poll;
- assessment of breathing parameters;
- blood pressure measurement;
- assessment of the patency of the nasal passages;
- oral examination;
- blood test.
After that, the specialist needs to assess the quality of the patient's sleep. For this, some research is being done.
- Polysomnography. This method allows you to identify the cause of snoring or apnea. The patient is placed on a couch in a special room. Then the doctor places electrodes on the head, face, chest, lips, legs, stomach and finger. The patient is then allowed to sleep. A nurse or doctor watches over him while he sleeps.
- Determination of the apnea index. The essence of the method is to count the pauses in breathing during sleep.
Based on the diagnostic results, the doctor confirms or excludes the presence of apnea, and also evaluates the advisability of prescribing CPAP therapy for snoring. After that, the specialist conducts a conversation with the patient, during which he selects a device for home use, based on the state of he alth of the person and his financial capabilities.
Mask selection
This product is in direct contact with the patient's face during treatment. In this regard, the choice of mask must be approached responsibly. It is important to remember that not only the effectiveness, but also the duration of treatment directly depends on this product.
Masks of various types and sizes are available from sleep laboratories. During the diagnosis, the doctor tries them on the patient, after which he writes out a prescription. Products have a standard connector, and therefore they are suitable for all devices intended for CPAP therapy.
Instrument setup
After purchasing it, it is advisable to re-apply to the somnologist and ask to determine the level of pressure that is comfortable and safe for the patient. It is important to remember that CPAP therapy is a method, the essence of which is to inflate the airways. To get rid of snoring and sleep apnea, the pressure must be selected correctly.
Its minimum indicator in sipap machines is 4 cm of water column. Theoretically, a person can purchase the device himself and set it to a given value. However, in practice, the minimum pressure is insufficient. In addition, most peoplehaving trouble falling asleep.
The devices work in such a way that within 10-20 minutes the pressure indicator gradually increases. But the original value is purely individual. That is why it is recommended to contact your doctor to set up the device.
Home procedure
In the sleep laboratory they explain in detail how to use the device, set it up for the patient. In practice, the operation of the drug is extremely simple:
- you need to lie on the bed and take a comfortable position for sleeping;
- connect the device to the network and put on a mask;
- turn on the device, after which you can fall asleep.
The pressure indicator gradually increases from minimal to therapeutic. If a person wakes up at night and feels uncomfortable, just press the button and it will decrease again.
According to reviews, CPAP therapy at home is an effective way to get rid of snoring. Already after the first procedure, patients feel well-rested and rested.
Duration of treatment
Doctors do not recommend considering CPAP therapy as a short-term method. One of the disadvantages of the method is precisely that it is necessary to sleep in a mask all the time. First of all, this applies to people with severe obstructive sleep apnea.
If the disease is mild or moderate, doctors recommend one of two treatment regimens.
- Perform therapy daily, but sleep with a mask onlythe first 4-5 hours. At this time, sleep is deep, so that external stimuli do not interfere with it. In the morning, the mask may begin to cause discomfort. At this time, it can be removed. As practice shows, this does not affect the quality of treatment and rest.
- Perform therapy in short courses with breaks of 2 days. But you need to sleep in a mask all night. In addition, therapy is indicated on days when a significant dose of any alcohol-containing drink was taken the day before.
It is important to understand that regularity is important in treatment. According to the reviews of most patients, the mask in a dream does not affect the quality of rest of both the person himself and his family members.
Equipment
Currently, a large number of devices for CPAP therapy are being sold on the medical equipment market. The choice of device must be approached responsibly, since the quality of treatment depends on its functioning.
All devices are divided into 3 classes.
- III. This is basic equipment, not equipped with additional features. These devices are outdated. They are represented by a mask, a tube and a compressor. The devices have a number of disadvantages associated with pressure surges. As a result, doctors recommend purchasing more modern equipment that excludes their occurrence, and also prevents air from leaking from under the mask during sleep.
- II. These are devices in which there is a built-in function for compensating treatment pressure. Monitoring of indicators is carried out with the help of a specialsensor. For example, if the pressure drops during inhalation, the engine speed is accelerated, thereby maintaining a value equal to the healing one. In other words, these devices independently adjust to the rhythm of human breathing. In addition, pressure surges are excluded during use. Doctors most often recommend purchasing the SomnoSoft 2e device.
- I. These devices are state of the art. They themselves adapt to the needs of the person. However, the settings may be confused if, for example, air leaks from under the mask. The advantage of such devices is the presence of a memory function, which allows you to evaluate the quality of sleep and follow the dynamics of changes. Most often, doctors recommend the device Prisma 20A.
Each class has both advantages and disadvantages. However, in general, experts recommend the use of class II devices. They are relatively inexpensive and provide the maximum therapeutic effect.
Side effects
The doctor should tell when prescribing CPAP therapy what it is. The specialist also has no right to remain silent about the consequences. The patient must be prepared for the fact that during adaptation the following conditions may occur:
- dryness of the mouth and nose;
- facial skin irritation;
- heart rhythm disorder;
- eye irritation.
State data passes after some time on its own.
Conclusion
Cipap therapy is a modern method for the treatment of snoring and obstructive sleep apnea syndrome. Its essenceis to expand the airways during sleep. As a result, a person fully rests, wakes up easily in the morning and notes an increased degree of efficiency during the day.
