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What is Obstructive Sleep Apnea? |
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Obstructive Sleep Apnea (OSA) is a condition in which a patients breathing passage seals during sleep, this can be caused by the tongue falling back into the mouth or the airway collapsing. This can render the patient to have apnea episodes or to stop breathing. The end result of this would cause the patient to feel tired, have difficulty focusing, and irritability. |
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What can happen if I don’t see a doctor about treatment for Obstructive Sleep Apnea? |
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Untreated Obstructive Sleep Apnea can lead to the other serious medical problems like heart attacks, strokes, high blood pressure, and diabetes. Sometimes is it one of these conditions that will alert your regular physician and prompt him/her to refer you to a sleep disorders clinic. |
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What is CPAP? |
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Continuous Positive Airway Pressure, (CPAP). CPAP is a constant flow of air which holds the airway open so that a patient can breathe continuously during the night without periods of apnea. |
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How do you know how much pressure to set the CPAP on? |
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Your doctor will test you at a sleep center where they will monitor your breathing while you are asleep. During your sleep should you begin to have apnea the sleep technician will begin titrating (increasing) the positive airway pressure to a level that will maintain an open airway for continuous uninterrupted breathing. |
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Do you have to have a prescription to get a CPAP machine? |
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Yes. Federal law regulates the use of continuous positive airway pressure. This is done to assure that the appropriate treatment is given to each individual, much like prescribing any other type of medication. |
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How do I know what kind of equipment I need? |
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First you should choose a supplier that is reputable, that is someone who has a good reputation in the community and among the medical community as well. Your supplier should have full time respiratory therapist and trained technicians on staff, and a 24 hour emergency contact for nights, weekends and holidays. Your supplier should also give you a choice when selecting your equipment, mask and supplies. You should also use a company that will offer you follow-up care at no additional cost to you. You should also make sure that all of your equipment comes with a warranty.
Also remember that there is high end equipment and low end equipment. A good supplier will only carry the best, (this actually saves them time and money because they do not have to be bothered with broken equipment a few months down the line and neither do you). Some companies only carry low end equipment because they know that most insurance companies will pay the same price for a cheep machine as they will for a more expensive one, and this will net more money for them. |
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What if I am not sure if I need a CPAP? |
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You can talk with your regular physician about you symptoms and concerns or you can call and talk with a sleep professional at a sleep lab, or you can call Milner Rushing Home Care. |
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How can I tell if I need home oxygen? |
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You might suspect you need home oxygen if you have difficulty breathing, trouble completing normal activity with out becoming short of breath, become tired easily or have periods of confusion, memory loss or disorientation. |
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Why do I need home oxygen? |
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Normally oxygen passes from the lungs into the bloodstream and is pumped by the heart to all parts of the body. When a patient has lung disease, oxygen may not be available for the heart to pick up and pump to the other organs of the body. Since oxygen is the number one fuel source for the body, the lack of oxygen can cause shortness of breathe, confusion, memory loss, and fatigue. If you have any of these symptoms, you should talk with your physician as soon as possible. |
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Can I become addicted to oxygen? |
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NO. Oxygen is not addicting. We all need oxygen to survive, whether we get oxygen from the room air that we breathe, or from supplemental oxygen. |
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Will I always have to have home oxygen once I start using it? |
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Not necessarily, should your condition improve you may no longer need supplemental oxygen. |
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