Sleep recharges our bodies and refreshes our minds. It’s an essential part of our biological system.
Sleep analysts believe an adequate amount of sleep keeps away chronic diseases. Many neuro-physicians states that insufficient sleep can harm your cognitive abilities.
You will notice several side effects, including minimal retention power and reduction in concentration. Various types of sleep disorders impact patients’ health and disrupt their relationships.
Sleep apnea can affect your well-being, such as work performance and social behavior. Critical sleeping conditions can disrupt your mental health and push you towards depression. An unattended disorder can lead to developing other diseases, like diabetes and more.
There are many ways in which doctors can solve your sleep disorders. Continuous Positive Airway Pressure or CPAP therapy is one of the effective methods. It’s that using the CPAP mask while sleeping has benefitted many patients.
We compare medical experiences before and after CPAP machine. CPAP treatment smoothens the air passage, and sleep becomes natural to the patient.
CPAP Machine: Definition And Function
Doctors commonly advise Continuous Positive Airway Pressure (CPAP) machines as one of the most fruitful measures to treat obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) sleep disorders.
OSA is a common sleep disorder that evokes a disturbed breathing cycle. In sleep, the patient stops and begins breathing. Irregular breathing habits can make the patient snore, disturbing other people’s sleep.
Doctors find obesity and excessive weight gain cause obstructive sleep apnea. It’s often linked to the soft tissue of the mouth and throat.
During sleep, the tongue and throat muscles are more relaxed. It’s then that soft tissues harden and block the air passage.
In this scenario, a CPAP machine sends a flow of pressurized air into your nasal and throat passage. It enables you to breathe since the passageway is no more blocked.
How Does a CPAP Machine Work?
A CPAP appliance works in the following steps:
- Step 1: CPAP motor compressor produces a torrent of pressurized air that travels into a tube.
- Step 2: The tube delivers this air into your nasal passageway through the mask.
- Step 3: The airstream pushes against any blockage on its path.
- Step 4: This opens the way to the lungs so that it receives enough oxygen.
- Step 5: Ensure nothing obstructs the flow of breathing and you get sound sleep.
Life Before Using a CPAP Machine
Obstructive sleep apnea has multiple symptoms and aggravates several complications if the patient doesn’t get adequate treatment at the right time. Worldwide, patients have agreed on many problems they endure as OSA patients before being prescribed a CPAP machine.
Symptoms of OSA
Symptoms of obstructive sleep apnea increased because of other medical conditions:
- You’ll feel sleepy and weary throughout the day. Experience a lack of your usual energy to take part in various activities.
- Irregular breathing often compels you to breathe with force, resulting in loud snoring.
- There will be episodes of fluctuating breathing cycles while you sleep.
- You might wake up from sleep gasping for air while struggling with the choking sensation.
- Lack of adequate oxygen in your air passage will leave your mouth dry and throat sore.
- Your blood pressure will increase, resulting in mood swings and other temperamental changes.
- Sleepless nights can leave you mentally tired and push you towards depression.
- Headache and wavering concentration because of a disturbed sleeping cycle are general symptoms.
Risk Factors of OSA
This type of sleep apnea is a complex problem, and anyone can develop it. Various risk factors that worsen your health are:
1. Broken Nose
If you’ve broken your nose in an accident, you might develop a condition called a deviated septum. It can lead to obstructive sleep apnea. The tissues in the nose, called turbinates, swell in response to injury or allergies. You might breathe and notice other oral changes because of the obstructed airways.
2. Excessive Weight
Weight gain makes sleep apnea worse. OSA will affect people with obese propensities. The fat deposits along the base of the tongue and around the upper airway can narrow down the air passage. Medical conditions like polycystic ovarian syndrome and hypothyroidism can cause obstructive sleep apnea.
3. Diabetes
Obstructive sleep apnea is a common syndrome in type 2 diabetes patients. But, researchers have concluded people with sleep apnea are more prone to diabetes. Studies have shown that OSA is insulin resistance and glucose-intolerant components.
4. Smoking And Alcohol
Your consistent smoking habits inflame the upper airway and contribute to sleep apnea. You’re likely to snore at night, whether you’re an active or former chain smoker. It’s one of the primary symptoms.
Note that alcohol triggers the release of molecules called cytokines. It not only inflames the air passage, but alcohol is high in calories and increases obesity in people. Alcohol increases snoring in people while slowing down breathing.
Breathing gets shallow in some other people.
5. High Blood Pressure
Various scientists have reported obstructive sleep apnea as an essential determiner of hypertension. Physicians believe that half of the people suffering from OSA have underlying hypertension. Also, patients suffering from resistant hypertension are susceptible to sleep apnea.
It’s a dangerous pair of interrelated medical conditions. Hence, treating sleep apnea can decrease blood pressure levels.
6. Chronic Nasal Congestion
Nasal congestion is a constant annoyance for people suffering from obstructed sleep apnea. Sometimes, added medical conditions can increase discomfort and block nasal passages in patients. In such patients, sleep apnea affects twice more as those who aren’t comorbid.
Lack of humidification can be another reason. Keep in mind proper treatment can eradicate any breathing trouble.
7. Asthma
Asthma and obstructive sleep apnea both affect your breathing condition. Several researchers said asthma triggers an increased risk of OSA in a patient. It inflames and narrows the air passage. This causes sleepless nights and a disturbed breathing cycle.
Life After Using a CPAP Machine
People suffering from obstructive sleep apnea reported discomfort during sleep. But patients have regained their satisfying sleep. This happened because of the continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) machine.
Long-time sufferers or critical patients depend on a CPAP strapped around their mouths. A CPAP machine restrains and controls the onset of several other risk factors. This can worsen the condition of an OSA patient.
The following are the benefits that you can receive from a CPAP machine:
1. Diabetes Prevention
The CPAP machine can improve glycemic control in people having type 2 diabetes. It regulates glucose levels and elevates the morning glycemic level in OSA patients. Pathologists said CPAP machines lower glucose levels and improve post-breakfast glycemic response.
The CPAP machine treats sleep apnea but impacts insulin resistance and sensitivity. As a result, the therapy can decrease almost 45% of diabetes in people when executed for the most duration.
2. Heart Disease Prevention
Another added benefit of using a CPAP machine is that it reduces the risk of heart disorders. Sleep apnea causes disruptive sleep that wakes you because of problematic breathing conditions.
These breathing pauses can increase your blood pressure. The heart receives a strain because of the reduction in oxygen level.
People with untreated sleep disorders die early from heat-related illnesses. Statistics show that the number of such people dying is more than those who don’t suffer from OSA or are well-treated. You’ve to use this machine for an extended period so that it can support your heart health and other body parts.
3. Stroke Prevention
Use a CPAP machine for a longer time. It keeps you away from premature death and long-term disability. These are generic symptoms in people suffering from obstructive sleep apnea. Scientists studied hundreds of patients with ischemic stroke history. It showed post CPAP use, 59% of patients underwent a marked recovery in the nervous system.
CPAP therapy improves neurological outcomes that reduce blockage tendencies in the blood flow. A patient who has suffered mini-strokes for the past year when put on a CPAP machine displays improved symptoms of delirium, upgraded cognitive power, less depression, and more.
4. Weight Loss
Sleepless nights make you tired and unmotivated to work. Consequently, you might look for carbohydrate-rich sugary products that provide added energy. However, to lose a few pounds, you can use a CPAP machine that elevates and regulates the leptin level, the hormone responsible for indicating that you’re full.
When the machine improves your sleep quality, you’ll notice consistent weight loss in the first three months of your CPAP therapy. It increases metabolism and urges the patient to involve in more physical activities. Likewise, with a low-carb diet and a CPAP machine in tow, you’ll rapidly lose weight and live a healthier life.
5. Improved Cognitive Power
Adhering to long-term CPAP use can positively affect your cognitive development, including concentration, verbal skills, and spatial and visual memories. Renowned scientific institutions have confirmed that CPAP machines significantly improve memory in older patients.
Neuropsychologists infer that patients using CPAP machines have seen a sporadic change in cognitive power, including improved mental processing and reduced short-term memory. Above all, neuroimaging reveals this development after three months of machine use.
Verdict
Obstructive sleep apnea is common among people with stress and anxiety. It worsens when you have underlying diseases and chronic disorders like diabetes. Note that inadequate sleep can hamper your overall well-being and gradually push you toward premature death.
However, a CPAP machine allows the user to lead a better life while controlling chronic physical and mental illnesses. There is a huge difference in life before and after CPAP machine. Apart from the major contribution towards preventing cardiac and diabetic strokes, the CPAP machine elevates your mood and helps to regain emotional stability.
