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what would be the difference in using oxygen and a cpap for the treatment of obstructive sleep apnea ?

would like to know what the difference between using a cpap machine and just using oxygen for the treatment of obstructive sleep apnea , do not know much about sleep apnea since just been a little over a week since i was diagnosed as i am just getting started with the wonderful world of sleep apnea

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Apnea means "no breath".

This means that nothing is getting into the lungs. The usage of oxygen would provide no benefit since the issue is that the oxygen is not getting into the lungs. 

Apnea is not a "breathing disorde"r per se, it is a state dependent (sleep) breathing issue. Once the state is changed (wake,) the lungs and all other mechanisms of breathing function properly. It is only the problem of the relaxation of the muscles in the airway during sleep that poses the risk.

In severe cases, it becomes an unconscious choice on the part of the brain:

Sleep and not breath

Wake and breath

 

Providing a means to simultaneously open the airway and allow for sleep is the goal of a usable therapy.  

 

Hope that helps.

I also have COPD-emphazema, pretty severe.  While I'm having an attack, I find I can't use the CPAP at all, I think my pressure is set at 7.  Does anyone else have both these problems?

How safe is it to use only oxygen during the 2 weeks of a flare-up?

If you find you are spending time off the CPAP+O2 mix, you should seek your physician's input for guidance as to what level to possibly increase the O2 during times of off CPAP+O2 therapy. The CPAP will typically alter the amount of O2 required, therefore it most likely is not the level of O2 that would be satisfactory when not used in conjunction with the CPAP. Ask your doctor.

yes it does help , wondered why you could just go on oxygen when diagnosed with this but it looks like that would not be a smart move

thanks  

Somnonaut said:

Apnea means "no breath".

This means that nothing is getting into the lungs. The usage of oxygen would provide no benefit since the issue is that the oxygen is not getting into the lungs. 

Apnea is not a "breathing disorde"r per se, it is a state dependent (sleep) breathing issue. Once the state is changed (wake,) the lungs and all other mechanisms of breathing function properly. It is only the problem of the relaxation of the muscles in the airway during sleep that poses the risk.

In severe cases, it becomes an unconscious choice on the part of the brain:

Sleep and not breath

Wake and breath

 

Providing a means to simultaneously open the airway and allow for sleep is the goal of a usable therapy.  

 

Hope that helps.

i at this time have not been started on the cpap , got to go this coming saturday night to have the 2nd sleep study done with the cpap, so i was trying to get as much information as i can and wanted to know what the difference was , have not been to see my sleep doctor yet since the first sleep study .

Somnonaut said:
If you find you are spending time off the CPAP+O2 mix, you should seek your physician's input for guidance as to what level to possibly increase the O2 during times of off CPAP+O2 therapy. The CPAP will typically alter the amount of O2 required, therefore it most likely is not the level of O2 that would be satisfactory when not used in conjunction with the CPAP. Ask your doctor.

Obstructive sleep apnea means that your airway is obstructed and air can't get thru no matter how much 02 supplementation is bled in during an apnea. The 02 can't get thru to your lungs.

 

During an hypopnea your airway is partially obstructed and only a limited amount of air can get thru to your lungs regardless of whether you are using 02 supplementation or not. At least during an hypopnea w/02 supplementation the air that does get thru is "richer", more full of 02, but it still is only a limited amount.

 

CPAP provides only "room air" BUT at a given pressure titrated to keep the airway open or to open the airway so the room air - and any 02 supplementation - can get thru.

 

The 02 isn't doing you any good when it can't get thru an obstructed airway.

 

OSA is the result of an anatomical situation, it is NOT the result of pulmonary function. COPD, emphysema, bronchitis are pulmonary functions. The two are not the same.

 

CPAP does not increase 02 BUT it does prevent the airway from obstructing so that air (and 02 supplementation) can get thru your airway.

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