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APAP vs CPAP Machines. What’s the difference?
APAP & CPAP Machines are an excellent solution to help you cope with the problem of sleep apnea. You can buy the APAP & CPAP Machines for home use or for use in a medical center.
These machines for the treatment of apnea have proven themselves well all over the world. Many people choose to buy a sleep apnea machine in order to avoid future health problems.
People use these machines because when your breathing stops, oxygen does not enter your body, and in the morning, people feel tired, weak, blood pressure rises, health worsens, diseases of the cardiovascular system may develop.
If you decide to buy sleep apnea APAP & CPAP Machines , you should understand how they work and what is the difference between them, and why they help to cope with a serious problem.
Related:
For the best APAP Machine read this article
For the best BiBAP Machine read this article
In fact, APAP & CPAP Machines are devices with a mask connected to them, which is worn on the face. Such devices are able to control the breathing of a person during sleep.
As soon as breathing stops due to the fact that the palate sags in the larynx, the apparatus forcibly starts it by pressure..
Today, APAP & CPAP Machines machines for therapy can be bought in different modifications, they come with different masks, which:
- Do not cause discomfort;
- Do not provoke allergies;
- Pleasant to the touch;
APAP vs CPAP Machines. What’s the difference?
| CATEGORY | APAP MACHINE | CPAP MACHINE |
| DEFINITION | It is a device that, when the rhythm of your breathing is disturbed, it supplies additional air to increase the pressure in the airways. | It is a device that delivers a continuous stream of air at a certain constant pressure. |
| AIR SUPPLY | Air is supplied through a corrugated tube into the mask, which is worn before you are going to bed.
The constant flow of air prevents the walls of the pharynx from collapsing, thereby preventing apnea. |
Delivers a stream of compressed air through a face mask or nasal mask into the nasal passage.
It ventilates the lungs with constant positive pressure, that is, regardless of the breathing phase: both on inhalation and exhalation, the air pressure does not change. It is important to note that the apparatus does not create negative pressure on exhalation, that is, exhalation is carried out by the patient’s forces. |
| RECOMMENDATIONS | Patients with sleep apnea | Designed to treat sleep apnea.
It is used for critically ill patients or newborns at risk of respiratory failure |
| AUTOMATIZATION | Automatically regulates the air flow pressure, adjusting to the patient’s breathing, which makes these devices the most versatile and comfortable to use. | ONLY By changing settings manually |
| MINISES | Adjustments may be slow. Sometimes it can be a little long to make adjustments, and this can cause discomfort in your sleep. | The device is too loud or the mask can be uncomfortable.
If the humidifier is installed too high, condensation may accumulate in the mask or tube. The user should try the CPAP machine for several nights, adjusting the settings as needed. |
APAP vs CPAP Machines. What is better?
The good thing about APAP Machines is that it “takes into account” various factors that can influence the pressure dose in the same patient at different times.
The situation gets worse (i.e., cases of apnea are more severe and occur more frequently) in the following cases:
- In the supine position (compared to the lateral position).
- During deep sleep (versus shallow sleep).
- The patient drank alcohol or took a sedative (especially in the afternoon).
- The patient is unwell and suffers from a runny nose or allergies.
- The patient is very tired.
APAP automatically adjusts to all these changes.
Non-automatic CPAP is set to the same value determined during polysomnography and any additional factors are simply ignored.
In addition, over time (after a few months), the general situation with apnea may be improved, as a result of CPAP therapy (and / or other measures taken), the patient can lose weight and in this case, you have to set new settings at the CPAP Machine.
You must carefully analyze the results using a program or even ask for a polysomnography.
Using a continuous positive airway pressure machine can take some time to get comfortable with, there are several ways to maximize CPAP comfort by adjusting or tweaking the CPAP settings.
A continuous positive airway pressure apparatus delivers a stream of compressed air through a face mask or nasal mask into your nasal passage.
This keeps the air passage open by using air pressure rather than air flow. Although air passes through the mask, when the mask is placed on your face, it creates an airtight seal.
At this point, the air pressure acts as a vacuum to keep the channel open.
Beginner CPAP users sometimes feel the air pressure is too high or find it difficult to exhale against the compressed air. As they adjust to the machine, this sensation will fade away for most CPAP users.
Until then, one can increase the comfort of the CPAP by using the ramp function on his/her computer.
This function reduces the pressure to a low level and then slowly raises it to the set value. Another feature designed to improve CPAP comfort is C Flex program, which allows you to reduce the user’s exhalation air pressure, making it easier for you to exhale.
If you have an APAP Machine, then you don’t need to do anything at all.
It’s just that over time, the upper limit of the pressure range will become too high, which will not lead to anything bad – just the pressure will in practice reach, for example, not up to 14-15, but only up to 11-12.
When buying APAP or CPAP Machines keep in mind the following Features:
When purchasing your new CPAP machine, it is important to pay attention to the equipment of the device with additional functions.
Equipping the device with additional functions increases the effectiveness of the therapeutic effect of the device, significantly reduces the period of getting used to the procedure, and makes a night’s sleep calm and comfortable.
Air heating and humidification
Inhalation of dry cold air negatively affects the condition of the mucous membranes of the respiratory tract, which can cause nasal congestion, sore throat, and coughing.
A special heated humidifier prevents these side effects. Such a humidifier is built into both the CPAP and APAP Machines.
Decrease in expiratory pressure – SOFT PAP
A frequent problem with CPAP therapy is resistance during exhalation, which complicates the patient’s process of getting used to the device and can provoke sleep disturbance.
The function of lowering the working pressure in the expiratory phase significantly reduces the number of unscheduled night awakenings.
Auto start
The function provides automatic switching on of the device immediately after putting on the mask. When removing the mask after a short period of time, the device automatically turns off by itself.
Delaying sleep
A function that regulates the start of a gradual increase in pressure. The treatment mode in the device is not established immediately, but after a certain time, selected individually for each patient.
The presence of this function helps the patient to fall asleep peacefully. After falling asleep, devices begin to supply air in operating mode in accordance with the specified parameters.
Color screen, memory card
The display screen displays an indication of work processes: sleep schedules, the number of apnea episodes, and the SD card records complete information about the sleep phases throughout the year, which allows the attending physician to judge the effectiveness of the therapy.
APAP vs CPAP Final Words
I hope that you understood the proper comparison between APAP vs CPAP Machines, but always remember, that Each of the above types of equipment solves certain problems, and it is not always the case that the most expensive equipment solves your problem.
Don’t forget to consult with your doctor about which treatment or APAP/CPAP device you need.
