What is Obstructive Sleep Apnea?

Obstructive Sleep Apnea (OSA) is a stoppage in breathing at night, which lasts anywhere between 10 seconds up to 1 minute. This cessation in breathing causes fragmented sleep and can occur a couple times an hour to over a hundred in some cases. This obstruction is caused mainly by a loss of muscle control in the soft pallet, causing an obstruction in the trachea and a decrease in the level of oxygen in the blood. The low oxygen will trigger a transition into a lighter sleep and often have the sleeper wake up in a sudden gasp for air, or a choking feeling. Although being overweight plays a large factor in Sleep Apnea, it is not the only cause. It can also be the structural make up of your soft pallet, meaning your tonsils or adenoids are too large for your airway. There are many side effects of OSA that patients should know about when considering treatment. The following are risks associated with untreated OSA; Increased risk for; high blood pressure, stroke, diabetes, and obesity Increased risk for arrhythmias, and heart failure Increased risk for motor vehicle and work related accidents

CPAP Therapy

Obstructive Sleep Apnea is easily treated for with a CPAP machine (continuous positive airway pressure). CPAP therapy is the gold standard for treatment of OSA, as it is the most effective option available. Gentle air pressure from the machine is pushed into a mask on the patients face, this occurs in order to keep the airway clear from any obstruction. The pressure is able to fluctuate in order to deal with the different severities of each occurring obstruction. With continued use of therapy, patients will feel pre-treatment symptoms begin to dissolve over time. Continued follow ups with your provider is strongly recommended to maintain effective and comfortable treatment. Remote Monitoring Lakeland Respiratory provides remote monitoring as an option on CPAP machines. A small modem is attached to the CPAP and information can be easily transferred at the touch of a button. This allows easy and effective monitoring, especially to those in remote locations. Data can be transferred back and forth from our computer to your machine if any pressures or changes need to be made for comfort or for effective treatment.

CPAP Cleaning

• Wash your CPAP mask daily with warm soapy (mild) water, or mask wipes.
• Rinse out humidifier with a water/vinegar mixture weekly.
• Rinse the filter weekly with water and place back in when dry. Continue checking bacterial filter and change when necessary.
• Use distilled water

CPAP Tips

• Continued use of your CPAP machine will result in improvements of symptoms and treatment results.
• If you are having any problems with pressure or your mask fitting please do not hesitate to come in for an appointment.
• Do not over tighten your mask as it may cause even greater leakage.
• Replace masks when the seal is starting to deteriorate.
• Use your machine every night and also while taking naps.
• If you experience dryness in your mouth, turn up the humidity. Also if there is increased moisture in the mask making it uncomfortable, turn down the humidity.

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