A respironics cpap machine can be the difference between life and death for people living with sleep apnea. The cpap machine is designed to ensure you get plenty of oxygen and continue breathing while in your sleep. Those with sleep apnea suffer from poor sleep quality because their bodies are fighting to keep breathing while they are asleep.
There are an estimated 18 million people in the United States currently living with sleep apnea, and another 4% to 6% living with undiagnosed sleep apnea. Having sleep apnea that goes undiagnosed or untreated can create a life threatening situation.
People with untreated sleep apnea are at a significantly higher risk of developing heart disease or suffering from a stroke. The National Commission on Sleep Disorders Research asserts that as many as 38,000 death a year can be attributed to sleep apnea.
Men are more likely to develop it than women, and people with asthma are 40% more likely to develop it than people without asthma. Understanding what risk factors impact you can help you make informed decisions regarding whether or not you should talk to your doctor about your poor sleep quality and what might be causing it.
When sleep apnea is diagnosed, it is treated with the inclusion of a respironics cpap machine. This machine will come with a cpap mask or nasal pillow that you will have to wear for at least four hours a night 70% of the time throughout a 30-day period. That means it should be word seven out of every ten nights? sleep.
The problem doctors are facing is that patients with diagnosed sleep apnea are not using their cpap machine the way they are supposed to be using them. Patients complain the cpap machine is not comfortable to wear, or it is too loud and disrupting their sleep.
According to a recent study, 80% of patients that are supposed to be using a cpap machine do not use it as much as they need to to decrease their risks of other medical complications. Most people stop using their cpap machine within the first month of having it. This is very disconcerting information given the known health risks associated with sleep apnea.
When asked, there seemed to be no significant difference in preference for patients that used the cpap mask and those that used the nasal pillows. They are not comfortable, but you can get used to them if you give it a chance.
There are plenty of online cpap supply companies that you can look into. If you do not care for the mask, you can try a nasal pillow. Find what is going to work best for you and stick with it. Following the treatment prescribed by your doctor which will include a cpap machine such as the respironics cpap, will significantly decrease your risk factors despite living with sleep apnea.