What is the Difference Between CPAP and APAP?

If you have seep apnea, then one of the most effective treatments is to get a machine that can help keep your airways open at night when you sleep. You may expect it to be a CPAP machine, but it isn't the only type of machine that can help. There is also an APAP machine. Do you know the differences?

Both machines use Positive Airway Pressure (PAP) to keep your airways open. A pump sends the pressure through a tube into your mask and along your airways. But it's the level of pressure that is sent which makes the difference.

CPAP applies a single, or continuous, level of pressure each and every time you use your machine. Your doctor determines the appropriate level based on either an average or a maximum needed to keep your airways open. A technician will adjust your machine to the proper level. This type of pressure has been used for years and works well for many patients.

But sometimes a one-size-fits-all solution doesn't work well for everyone. Recent technological advances have created a machine, known as Automatically-adjusting Positive Airway Pressure (APAP), that can adjust the pressure throughout the night based on when you need changes. Being in deep sleep, changes in weight, or sleeping on your back can all require changes in pressure to get the right quality sleep.

Whichever system you choose, remember that you are taking charge of your health. Better sleep leads to a better life.

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