Do Your Loved Ones Really Need a B-PAP?

Positive airway pressure is one of the most common treatments for sleep apnea,  a kind of sleep disorder in which pauses in breathing or periods of shallow breathing during sleep occur more often than normal. Continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) is usually recommended by doctors for treating sleep apnea, but bi-level positive airway pressure (BPAP) is a better option for some patients suffering from this breathing disorder.

The risk of sleep apnea increases with age so your beloved senior can fall prey to this disease anytime and their doctor may recommend the use of CPAP or BPAP machines according to the needs of your loved ones. You can either get the machines on rent or buy them from elder care services in Kolkata. They will also provide you with instructions on how to use, set up and care for the BiPAP  and CPAP machines.  Your loved ones may also require BPAP machines if they have been diagnosed with any of the following other than sleep apnea.
Chronic obstructive pulmonary disorder (COPD), a condition that makes difficult for a person to breathe:

     →  Pneumonia

     →  Asthma flare-up 

     →  Neurological disease that disturbs breathing

BiPAP machines are a form of positive airway pressure therapy, which uses compressed air to open and support the airway during sleep thereby reducing the chances of heart attacks. The compressor of the machine generates the pressurized air and directs it to the user’s airway through an air filter into a flexible tube. This tube delivers purified air into masks that are sealed around the nose or mouth of a person. BiPAP machines have two pressure settings namely inhalation positive airways pressure (IPAP) and exhalation positive airway pressure (EPAP) that allows lower pressure levels during exhalation. BiPAP machines have a pressure range of 4 to 25 cm H2O.The switch between IPAP AND EPAP may be timed or automatically based on the patient’s breathing pattern. 

Daily use of BiPAP machines reduces the risk of hospital admissions among people with COPD. It also boosts oxygen levels and normalizes Carbon dioxide levels that help a person to breathe comfortably.

A question that often comes in our mind is does our beloved seniors really need BiPAP Machines? The answer depends on the advice of doctors. They are the best ones to decide whether our beloved seniors need BiPAP machines to make themselves feel better for the above mentioned ailments or not.