What is CPAP machine?

Question

What is CPAP machine?

Answer 1

CPAP stands for continuous positive airway pressure.  It is a machine used to treat sleep apnea.

The machine has a face mask that you wear while you sleep.  It gently blows air into your mouth and nose so that you don't quit breathing in your sleep.

People with sleep apnea tend to stop breathing for brief periods of time dozens, and in severe cases, hundreds of times per night.  It happens because your airway temporarily closes, often when the tongue slips into the airway and obstructs it or snoring becomes so bad that it closes the airway.  

This causes you to wake (slightly) and adjust your position to open the airway.  Over the course of the night, all this small episodes of waking mean you wake up exhausted.

A CPAP machine keeps the airway open while you are deeply asleep. Wear it, and you will probably feel incredibly rested compared to how you've been sleeping if you have sleep apnea. They usually take a week or two to get used to, but if you stick with it you will sleep more deeply than you have been if you are like the typical sleep apnea patient.

Keep in mind, if you have other medical issues, heart conditions, obesity, other breathing issues, etc sleep apnea can make them worse.  

JennRN

surgery.about.com

Answer 2

CPAP stands for Continuous Positive Airway Pressure.  It keeps a constant flow (pressure) of air in your breathing passage so during the night when you relax while you are sleeping, the upper airways stay open.  They use just enough pressure to keep the airways open so you can still breath on your own while you are sleeping.  It is used for people with sleep apnea (stop breathing while asleep), for people with advanced lung disease, and for people that may have an anatomical anomoly that causes the airway to be blocked while sleeping.

Answer 3

Continuous Positive Air Pressure machine for people with Sleep Apnea. I have one that's set at 10 for the level of my sleep apnea.

Answer 4

you mean c**p machine... p**p of course.. DUH! Stupid!