I’ve always wondered why professionals in the field prefer to label an automated CPAP machine something different from what it really is, an automated CPAP machine. It is commonplace to refer to these kinds of machines as APAP machines or Auto-PAP devices. I believe that this is a result of misconception of the acronym CPAP. CPAP is a contraction of Continuous Positive Airway Pressure which means that air pressure is delivered continuously throughout the sleep cycle. The phrase CPAP does not mean that the constantly delivered air will have the same pressure. So, the appropriate word to describe the CPAP machine that alters the pressure settings depending on your specific needs is the automatic CPAP machine.
An CPAP machine is made to push air through the partially blocked airway to remove the obstruction and let you breathe normally. The majority of people refer to “regular” CPAP machines do this by blowing air with constant pressure all night long regardless of whether or not you’re experiencing an apnea or a cessation of breathing or otherwise.
An automatic CPAP machine does not use a constant pressure. It is designed to detect your breathing by making use of a device that provides feedback on pressure. If the machine is able to tell that you’re breathing properly and is able to detect this, the pressure delivered will be less. However it will sense that you aren’t breathing properly or when it detects hypopnea, an apnea or breathing problems – the pressure will be greater.
Because the majority of patients with sleep apnea are able to breathe normally for at minimum a time during the night so it is obvious that the constant pressure is not necessary for effective CPAP therapy. Automated CPAP devices provide around 40percent less pressure over the course of the night, compared to a CPAP machine that delivers constant pressure. The lower pressure can improve the patient’s comfort and compliance, and helps to make CPAP therapy more comfortable for the first time CPAP users.
If the pressure you are prescribed is low – less than 10 cm H2O – then the main benefit of an automated CPAP machine isn’t the lower average pressure, it could be the fact that you do not have to think about changing your pressure setting anytime soon. A fully automated CPAP machine practically guarantees you’ll receive the best CPAP treatment regardless of any the changes in your health.
Like most CPAP machines, automated CPAP machines are built to supply air pressures between 4 cm H2O to 20 cm of H2O. In the initial setting up of the machine, the minimal and maximal pressures are to be determined. The default setting is usually 4 cm H2O for the minimum pressure, and 20 cm H2O for the maximum pressure is utilized. If your recommended pressure setting is more than 10 cm H2O, then increasing the minimum pressure may be a good idea. I’d recommend using the standard max and minimum pressures as these settings permit the highest normal pressure reduction as well as the greatest amount of patient comfort.
Another advantage of automated CPAP machine is they’re two machines within one. You’ll get an automatic CPAP machine that can adjust pressure automatically, and you can also purchase a machine that can be configured to give an unchanging pressure, just like the regular CPAP machine. This versatility in function is appealing to a lot of CPAP users, and especially those who are making use of CPAP apparatus for the first time.
There are two kinds of sleep apnea, central and Obstructive. Central sleep apnea happens as the result of a malfunction in the thalamus part of the brain. On the other hand, sleep apnea with obstruction results from obstruction of the airway. CPAP devices are made to open the airway in people suffering with obstructive sleep apnea however CPAP machines have no influence on the Central sleep apnea. Certain automatic CPAP devices like those like the Puritan Bennett 420E can identify sleep apneas that occur with or without cardiac osciallations, thereby avoiding intensifying the pressure during central apnea episodes where it is clear airways. Additionally, modern automated CPAP devices can differentiate between hypopnea that is obstructive and central (which is described as breathing that is shallow).
Below is a list of the advantages of an automated CPAP machine:
About 40% overall reduction in pressure delivered
There is no need to stress about the need to adjust your pressure when your condition changes
The machine is flexible – it can be set to auto mode or continuous mode
Certain automated machines can recognize the distinction between central apneas/hypopneas.