Well, actually blows, but you know what I mean. For those who don’t know, CPAP = Continuous Positive Airway Pressure, is the gold standard for the treatment of Sleep Apnea, and it is administered via a machine which pumps air through a humidifier into a mask which has to be strapped to one’s face.
Sounds like torture? You betcha.
Modern CPAP machines are very quiet, so noise is not the issue, but the mask and tube? There are two types of mask, nose only nose or ‘nose and mouth’.
The nose only mask pressurises when you turn on the main box, and you can feel the pressure too. Although breathing out is slightly harder than without, it is not as bad as one might imagine. However, open your mouth and you feel a sudden gush of air from your nose into your mouth, and if you close your mouth quickly, your cheeks puff up like a hamster.
Coughing produces similar results, and can wake you up, which is totally the opposite of what the machine should be achieving.
Anybody who suffers with claustrophobia should not use the nose and mouth mask. It is horrid, but only slightly worse than the other one.
I sleep with one hand under my face, and always have done. The tube gets caught up sometimes, and the mask moves. Air rushes into my eyes generally which, surprise surprise, wakes me up.
If you suffer with a blocked nose, CPAP is useless. If you suffer with claustrophobia as I do, it is distressing. I used to look forward to getting to sleep. Now I wait and wait until I am really tired.
It is easy to see why most give up on these infernal torture machines. They are not nice.
There are other ways to get over sleep apnea and, at the next meeting, I will discuss the problem with the sleep study doctor. I will never ever get used to CPAP.
