Why Choose CPAP?
ABOUT CPAP
Continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) therapy is the most safe and effective treatment for obstructive OSA (OSA). This frontline therapy is able to treat 98% of OSA patients effectively and with fewer complications and lower costs than alternate treatments like surgery or mouthpieces. CPAP therapy ensures your airway remains open while you sleep by supplying a constant stream of air through a mask you wear while you sleep. This effective therapy relieves OSA nighttime symptoms including frequent waking, and making snoring and choking noises in your sleep. There are long-term benefits of restorative CPAP-aided sleep. Through continued use of CPAP, your body can recover from some of the effects of OSA. You will likely notice your mood will improve as well as your memory, energy levels and alertness during the day. For many people, the benefits extend to their sleeping partner; who will likely thank you for using CPAP because it will alleviate your snoring.
CPAP therapy is generally covered by your medical insurance company, and involves the use of a provider-prescribed machine, flexible tubing and a mask. New CPAP machines are lightweight, compact and quiet. Your Sleep Medicine Specialist at Sleep Centers of Middle Tennessee will help ensure you receive a properly-fitted mask. We will also medically determine the correct amount of air pressure needed to treat your OSA.
CPAP is considered a lifestyle change, so you can expect it to work best when used consistently on a nightly basis. You also should use CPAP at all times while you are sleeping; including during naps. The more you use CPAP, the better you will feel.
BRAIN DAMAGE CAUSED BY SLEEP APNEA IS REVERSIBLE WITH CPAP
A recent Neuroimaging study found that severe sleep apnea caused reduction in brain white-mater fiber integrity, leading to cognitive problems (concentration and memory issues), mood issues (depression, anxiety, irritability), and decreased alertness. Treatment with continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) for 12 months almost completely resolved the white-matter damage and produced marked improvement in cognitive function, mood, alertness, and quality of life. (Sleep. 2014 Sep 1; 37(9): 1465–1475.)
HEART ATTACKS CAUSED BY SLEEP APNEA CAN BE PREVENTED WITH CPAP
In 2005 Marin et al found that severe sleep apnea markedly increased the number of non-fatal cardiovascular events, and that treatment with CPAP prevented this increase in events. In 2016 McEvoy et al found no cardioprotective effects with CPAP but patients in this study only wore their CPAP 3 hours per night. Patients in the Marin et al study averaged over 4 hours usage per night, pointing out that patients must wear their CPAP over 4 hours per night to prevent heart attacks and other cardiovascular events.
Lancet 2005; 365: 1046-53
N Engl J Med 2016;375:919-31.
Did You Know?
Did you know that about 70 million Americans suffer from a sleep problem [1]? As a leading sleep medicine provider, Sleep Centers of Middle Tennessee treats patients with disorders including insomnia, narcolepsy and sleep apnea.
One of the disorders we treat most frequently is sleep apnea, a dangerous condition – characterized by complete or partial airway obstruction during sleep. Common nighttime symptoms include snoring, stopping or pausing of breathing and gasping for air. Symptoms often impact sufferers’ day-to-day lives with excessive daytime sleepiness, morning headaches, trouble concentrating, memory or learning problems, and general moodiness, irritability or depression.
To make matters worse, many patients don’t realize that they’re in greater danger of developing sleep apnea if they already suffer from other common diseases – such as Type 2 diabetes, obesity or hypertension.
Once diagnosed, the recommended treatment for sleep apnea is continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) therapy, which provides a steady stream of air through a mask to gently help your airway remain open throughout the night – making it easier to breathe. Left untreated, sleep apnea may have a serious impact on overall health, even increasing risk of death.
If you or a loved one has symptoms of sleep apnea, don’t wait to seek treatment. Call us today to find out how Sleep Centers of Middle Tennessee can help you benefit from consistent, quality sleep treatment.
[1] Centers for Disease Control; National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion, Division of Population Health
TYPE 2 DIABETES AND OBSTRUCTIVE SLEEP APNEA
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 25.6 million Americans aged 20 years or older suffer from diabetes, and Type 2 diabetes accounts for about 90 to 95 percent of all diagnosed cases. Seven in 10 people with Type 2 diabetes also have obstructive sleep apnea, and the severity of the sleep disorder directly impacts diabetes symptoms; the more severe a diabetic’s untreated sleep apnea, the poorer their glucose control.
Treating sleep apnea in diabetics improves nighttime glucose levels and insulin sensitivity. Treatment also will provide benefits of improved sleep unrelated to diabetes – including increased alertness during the day and improved memory and cognitive function.
A recent study from the University of Chicago shows that continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) treatment of sleep apnea may have as much of an effect as prescribed oral diabetes medications.
“In our study, one week of optimal CPAP use lowered average 24-hour glucose levels and improved post-breakfast glucose response in Type 2 diabetics with obstructive sleep apnea,” said Esra Tasali, MD, lead author of the study and assistant professor of medicine, pulmonary and critical care medicine at the University of Chicago Department of Medicine. “The dawn phenomenon, an early-morning increase in blood sugar in people who have Type 2 diabetes, also was reduced by 45 percent as a result of CPAP therapy.”
HYPERTENSION AND OBSTRUCTIVE SLEEP APNEA
High blood pressure, known as hypertension, is the most important risk factor for cardiovascular disease and is not limited to diabetes sufferers. A staggering 67 million Americans have high blood pressure, which is about one in every three adults. Between 30 and 40 percent of adults with high blood pressure also have sleep apnea, which is even more prevalent in those with resistant hypertension. Approximately 80 percent of patients that do not respond to hypertensive medications have sleep apnea. Seeking and adhering to sleep apnea treatment is a proven means of decreasing blood pressure.
Evidence shows that sleep apnea treatment lowers nighttime and daytime blood pressure, with the greatest improvement in patients seeking treatment for moderate to severe sleep apnea. The higher your blood pressure, the greater your risk of suffering a heart attack or stroke. Reducing your blood pressure lowers your risk of cardiovascular disease and improves your overall health.