The human body is perhaps one of the effective and fascinating machines ever made. And perhaps two of the most important biological functions the human body performs is breathing and sleep.
Breathing allows your heart and lungs to work together in delivering vital oxygen to your body’s cell, especially your brain and heart which cannot go without oxygen for even short periods of time. Sleep, on the other hand, is a highly restorative function in which the body and conscious mind are at rest. The brain uses this break as an opportunity to process the day’s event while the body is hard at work healing and repair it’s many system.
Now imagine if you couldn’t sleep or breathe. This the struggle many sleep apnea sufferers face on a daily or nightly basis, every single time they try to go to sleep.
Sleep apnea is condition in which a person’s breathing repeatedly starts and stops throughout the time they are asleep. These bouts of non-breathing, referred to as apneas, can last several moments all while the brain is deprived of precious oxygen. This is precisely why sleep apnea is considered a potentially fatal condition, as sleep apnea sufferers face significantly higher chances of developing fatal conditions such as heart disease and stroke.
CPAP machines, as well as BIPAP machines, are considered highly effective treatment options for alleviating and managing sleep apnea symptoms. Both BIPAP machines and CPAP machines are outfitted with masks that fit over the patient’s nose, mouth, or both. These machines work by supplying continuous stream of pressurized air that keeps the patient breathing.
The cost of a CPAP machine can be high, however, most insurance carriers can cover part if not all of this cost. For best results and to guarantee insurance coverage, it’s recommended that sleep apnea sufferers use their CPAP machines at least 70% of the time over a 30 day period and at least for four hours each night.
