The most efficient and effective treatment for sleep apnoea is CPAP therapy, and that is a fact. However, CPAP therapy is not “cure” for sleep apnoea and this fact is often highlighted when user continues to struggle with the use of a CPAP machine. More often than not, it is easy enough to “forget” and disregard the benefits of CPAP therapy when it usage is uncomfortable and even annoying.

Is CPAP therapy worth the trouble and initial inconvenience?

Important benefits of CPAP Therapy

There are sleep apnoea patients prescribed with CPAP therapy that can’t seem to cope with the machine. Sure there are alternative ways to manage sleep apnoea, but they might not prove to be effective to the patient.  CPAP therapy has its benefits and they should be prioritized instead of the inconveniences.

Daytime Sleepiness: Excessive daytime sleepiness will be gradually eliminated and replaced by daytime alertness. The patient will no longer nod off to sleep in the middle of daytime activities. 

Calm and Rested: Because the patient will be getting enough sleep, he will no longer be easily annoyed or irritated, and instead be calmer rested during the day.

Headache and Memory Loss: Lack of sleep triggers headaches, negatively affects concentration and memory. With a full night’s sleep thanks to CPAP therapy, the patient’s headache episodes will diminish, his concentration more focused, and no significant memory loss.

Hypertension and Heart Problems: Undiagnosed and untreated sleep apnoea is linked to an increase in sympathetic activity of the central nervous system during the night.  This causes the diastolic and systolic blood pressures to increase. Hypertension may cause cardiac arrhythmias which could potentially cause atherosclerosis which is the formation of plaque on the inner walls of arteries.   CPAP therapy can decrease or eliminate hypertension due of sleep apnoea thus reducing or cancelling the use of anti-hypertension medication. With normal blood pressure, the threat of tachycardia and potential myocardial infraction is greatly reduced.

Depression and Weight Gain: Chronic lack of sleep may cause depression, weight gain, and even sexual problems. As CPAP therapy will manage a patient’s interrupted sleep, improved quality of life, reduction in weight and improved sexual activity are in the offing.

CPAP Therapy Lowers Risk of Diabetes:  Medical studies have indicated that sleep deprivation and poor quality of sleep are linked to the development of resistance to insulin. People suffering from sleep apnoea have a higher risk of developing insulin resistance. Diabetic patients afflicted with sleep apnoea may find it hard to control diabetes if their sleep apnoea remains untreated.

GERD is controlled: Gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) is also associated with sleep apnoea, as the ailment is caused by an increase in negative intrathoracic pressure that is the result of breathing against a closed or narrowed airway.  Patients with or GERD will likely benefit from using CPAP machine as their airway is kept open by the machine.

CPAP Prevents Excessive Urination in the Night: Anti-diuretic hormone is secreted in bigger amounts during the deeper stages of sleep. So, frequent urination during nighttime is less likely to happen.

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