What is an Auto-Adjusting CPAP?
Auto Adjusting CPAP machines, also known as APAPs, have the ability to provide the right amount of pressure to keep your airway open. A sleep study to determine optimum pressure is not normally needed if an APAP is prescribed. An APAP is designed to deliver your ideal pressure, on a breath by breath basis, increasing pressure when it's too low and decreasing pressure when it's too high. An APAP can be run in CPAP mode, where the machine blows one constant pressure, or in Auto mode, where it adjusts the pressure to meet your specific needs. These machines are typically software capable, or 'smart' machines, which can help you and your doctor fine tune your Obstructive Sleep Apnea therapy and monitor for effectiveness.
For more about the benefits of using software as a part of your sleep therapy, see our previous Software Newsletter.
Why Would My Pressure Needs Change?
Your pressure needs can change, either in the same night or over a period of time, depending on many factors. These factors include:
- Weight gain or loss. Even a small increase or decrease in your body mass can change the amount of pressure you need.
- More tired than usual. Worked a 15 hour shift when you are used to 8 hours? Help a friend move one Saturday? Spend all day playing softball in the heat? Or maybe you're just plain worn out? Being more tired than normal can affect your pressure needs.
- Changes in your sleeping position. Do you move around in your sleep a lot? Sleep on your back, then change to your side? Curl up and then later stretch out? The position you sleep in can change your pressure requirements.
- Alcohol consumption. Throwing back a few cocktails before bed can easily lead to a need for a slightly higher pressure requirement than usual.
- Medications with sedative effects. Certain medications may have sedative effects and could alter the amount of pressure required to prevent apneas and hypopneas.
- Congestion from illness or allergies. Having stuffy sinuses or congestion in your lungs may modify how much pressure is essential to keep your air passage open during sleep.
- Different stages of the sleep cycle. Pressure needs might be different during the various stages of the sleep cycle. For instance, you may need more pressure in the deep sleep phase compared to the REM sleep phase.
- Slight mask leaks or different masks. If you have a slight mask leak, an Auto-Adjusting CPAP machine can increase the pressure to compensate for the leak Also, different masks have different "leak rates" also called "vent flow rates". Each mask leaks a certain amount of air through the exhaust or exhalation port. This is normal and is supposed to happen. The mask "leak rate" is usually published in the literature that comes with the mask. If the "leak rate" you see in your therapy data (using software) is above the published "leak rate", then you know you are having issues with getting a proper seal.
- Altitude. The higher up in altitude that we sleep, the harder the machine must blow to keep the airway open. While most CPAP machines have Manual or Automatic Altitude Adjustment that will work for altitudes typically up to 9000 feet, you can feel confident with an APAP that you are getting enough pressure to ensure your air passage is kept open.
- Various other factors. Stressed? Jet-lag? Sleeping in a strange place? Super-relaxed lately? Frequent Naps? All of these, and other circumstances, can lead to the need for different pressure requirements.
Benefits of Using an APAP Machine
The most obvious benefit is that an APAP machine can deliver the "right" amount of pressure at the "right" time and can respond to your ever-changing pressure needs or events, preventing them or adjusting as necessary. Ultimately, this should lead to less apnea and hypopnea events and a more effective therapy. Another added benefit is that you only get the minimum amount of pressure necessary at a given moment, which is quite nice if your "normal" pressure setting is on the high side.
An Auto Adjusting CPAP can sometimes help to eliminate or reduce aerophagia. Aerophagia is the swallowing of air which often leads to uncomfortable gassiness or bloating. The fact that APAP machines can be run in CPAP or APAP mode, and have advanced therapy tracking with the optional software, is another reason these machines are so popular. This is especially true for CPAP users who take an active role in their own therapy.
Lastly, using an APAP machine may reduce the need for subsequent and expensive sleep studies. The software data can be given to your doctor or Respiratory Therapist for a professional interpretation and then used, perhaps in conjunction with a Pulse Oximeter, to determine therapy effectiveness and the best course of action for each particular individual.
While APAP machines are slightly more expensive than the straight CPAP machines, we believe the benefits are worth the extra money for many CPAP users.
View Compare Chart of Auto Adjusting CPAPs
New Auto-Adjusting CPAP Machines
We carry two relatively new Auto-Adjusting CPAP machines. Let's take a quick look at them.
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Sandman Auto with Built In Heated Humidifier
The Sandman is very quiet at 26 dB, compact, and includes a built in heated humidifier with Humid Control; a feature which helps prevent condensation in the hose. It also has an enhanced auto algorithm that smoothly adjusts the pressure during obstructive events, and more.
Steal Some Winks with the Sandman Auto
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New Item - M Series Whisper Cap - Let's Get Quiet!
We have a wonderful new item in stock for those of you who already own a Respironics M-Series Auto CPAP machine, or really ANY machine in the M-Series line. You can add this Whisper Cap to the back of your machine and it will reduce the noise the machine makes. We spoke to Respironics Technical Support and they told us that their internal testing produced sound levels at a 3 dB decrease.
Got Questions?
As always, if you have any questions about Auto-Adjusting CPAPs, or any other item we carry, please contact us or give us a call at 1-800-356-5221.
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