CPAP Dangers & Risks
Risks are rare but include stomach discomfort and bloating. If you experience any one of these complications, stop using your CPAP machine immediately. One potentially fatal danger of CPAP use is the development of meningitis.
Using a CPAP machine every night can lead to having a constant dry or runny nose, feeling congested all the time, and even weakened throat muscles. In the worst-case scenarios, a defective CPAP machine can end up causing long-term damage to your lungs, which can result from the polyurethane in the machine.
If you're wondering, “how many hours per night should CPAP be used?” the answer is, for the entire night while you sleep, ideally 7+ hours. CPAP compliance measures how many hours and nights you use your therapy and if you use it often enough for effective treatment.
Notably, IGF-1 stimulates protein synthesis and maintains muscle mass. Our study and others have reported significant increases in IGF-1 in patients adherent to CPAP. Thus, the restoration of the GH axis and increase in IGF-1 in CPAP adherent patients likely contributed to weight gain and potential increase in LBM.
Although CPAP is supposed to help you get better sleep by treating your sleep apnea, it doesn't always work. In fact, many people, especially those with mild sleep apnea, often experience significantly worse sleep after they start using CPAP.
Regular use of the CPAP keeps your airways open and reduces swelling, so if you skip using the machine while you sleep, you miss out on this benefit. Swelling can return, causing you discomfort throughout the day.
If you are using CPAP therapy but still feel tired, there could be several reasons why. It's possible that you haven't been doing the therapy for long enough, you are removing your mask during the night, your pressure needs to be adjusted, or your symptoms are mild.
Consistent use of your CPAP machine is especially important. Whether you're at home or out of town for the weekend, always use your CPAP device for a restorative night of sleep. Even one missed night of therapy can jeopardize your health, which is why investing in travel-sized CPAP machine is important.
The life expectancy of a CPAP machine differs based on the specific piece of equipment. In general, CPAP machines are used for roughly three to five years. CPAP masks, however, should be replaced several times per year.
Compared with patients with poor continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) compliance, patients with good CPAP compliance saw improvements in lung function after 12 months.
Further longitudinal studies also show that benefits of CPAP therapy occur after six or seven years of therapy. Researchers now believe that they have evidence to suggest that CPAP therapy can reduce the risk of cardiovascular events and improve life expectancy.
While there is no cure for sleep apnea, studies show that certain lifestyle factors can reverse or make your sleep apnea less intense. Other treatment or surgical options can also reverse the condition. Sleep apnea happens when your upper airway muscles relax while you sleep.
Even though the symptoms can be treated, usually with the help of oral appliances, CPAP machines, or other forms of sleep apnea therapy, the condition itself is chronic and cannot be cured entirely. This means that your best bet is mitigating the symptoms and making lifestyle changes to lessen its effect on you.
The study randomly assigned 86 CPAP users to 3 months of CPAP therapy followed by 3 months of sham CPAP therapy, or vice versa. The results showed a significant BMI decrease in CPAP users compared with sham therapy users and a reversal of metabolic syndrome among some users.
As long as you have sleep apnea, you will continue to need to use CPAP therapy. That being said, you can discontinue the use of your CPAP machine if your sleep apnea becomes cured or enters remission.
Some patients feel better after the first night of use. Others may require a week or two to get accustomed to the treatment. Various factors determine how quickly you get accustomed to the CPAP machine.
Weight loss of just 10-15% can reduce the severity of OSA by 50% in moderately obese patients. Unfortunately, while weight loss can provide meaningful improvements in OSA, it usually does not lead to a complete cure, and many sleep apnea patients need additional therapies.
When I get up to use the toilet, should I turn my machine off or leave it running? You can turn your CPAP machine off if you need to get up to use the toilet. Restarting your CPAP machine can reset the ramp feature, making it more comfortable for you to fall back asleep.
Some patients immediately feel increased energy levels with their CPAP therapy, while others notice a difference in just a couple of weeks.
People with sleep apnea often report that they feel like a new person when they begin using CPAP therapy. They sleep better at night and have more energy during the day. As a result their mood also improves. Now a new study shows that CPAP may help you look better too.
The most common problems with treatment occur when your CPAP mask doesn't fit properly. If it's not fitting properly when you hit the sack‚ you may not be able to go to sleep as easily as you should. Put on your mask during the day. Make subtle adjustments to it to get a good seal and to make it comfortable.