Breathing problems may harm your quality of life. Fortunately, a range of equipment, such as the BiPAP machine, may assist you in breathing more easily.
Your doctor may have suggested that you use a BiPAP (bilevel positive airway pressure) machine if you have been diagnosed with sleep apnea or another breathing condition.
This article will cover how a BiPAP machine works, who may use it, how it varies from a CPAP machine, and its adverse effects.
How Does A BiPAP Machine Work?
The diaphragm drops as you inhale. This decreases lung tube and sac pressure and draws air in. Sleep apnea may make breathing difficult (such as when sleeping).
In such an instance, your healthcare professional may advise you to employ a BiPAP. It forces pressurised air into your lungs. This allows them to breathe and allows you to get the oxygen that you need, which may lower the chance that you may have a heart attack.
BiPAP machines are around the size of a lunchbox. The air is blown through the tube by the machine’s engine. Your body will take in air through the mask or plugs. Some varieties of the BiPAP machine have additional features, such as a humidifier.
Moreover, using a BiPAP machine may feel strange at first. However, the majority of individuals eventually become acclimated to it. If you have difficulty breathing while using your BiPAP, you should contact your physician as soon as possible. Changing the settings on your PC may help.
Who Can Use BiPAP Machines?
A bilevel positive airway pressure (BiPAP) machine might benefit you if you suffer from a medical condition that makes it difficult to breathe at times. BiPAPs have the potential to help treat obstructive sleep apnea (OSA), a potentially life-threatening disorder in which you repeatedly stop and start breathing while you are asleep. It may be life-threatening in certain circumstances.
Your specialist may also advise you to use a BiPAP if you suffer from:
- Coronary artery disease or congestive heart failure
- Obesity hypoventilation syndrome
- Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD)
- An asthma flare-up
- A neuromuscular or neurological disorder
- Breathing difficulties after a medical procedure or as a result of another medical problem
In addition, if you have trouble breathing most of the time or swallowing, a bilevel positive airway pressure machine is probably not for you. Alternatively, your physician could recommend that you use various devices to help you take in sufficient oxygen.
How Does A BiPAP Machine Vary From A CPAP Machine?
BiPAP and CPAP equipment have many similarities. To administer PAP (positive air pressure), they utilise a tabletop apparatus connected to a tube and a mask. They might be used to treat similar problems and have comparable side effects.
How the air pressure is distributed is the primary distinction that can be made between a CPAP machine and a BiPAP machine:
- CPAP devices provide a constant air pressure level.
- BiPAP devices provide two different levels of air pressure.
Moreover, CPAPs are often the first line of treatment recommended for obstructive sleep apnea patients. Because the continuous pressure maintains an open airway, there is no need for two different pressures.
However, BiPAP is an option when a CPAP device isn’t operating or isn’t handled well. They provide more air pressure on inhalation and less pressure on exhalation. For some OSA patients, this makes them more efficient or more pleasant.
BiPAPs are the primary therapy option for certain COPD patients. This is because patients with COPD have difficulty exhaling; some may find it hard to breathe out under the continual pressure of a CPAP machine.
Another difference is that BiPAP devices provide two pressure levels. The larger the difference between EPAP and IPAP, the more the device helps with deeper breathing. As a result, they are well-suited to treating respiratory difficulties induced by neurological disorders such as muscular dystrophy and ALS.
Some BiPAP systems have a timer, allowing the machine to exert pressure regardless of whether the person stops inhaling or cannot breathe. As a result, they are suitable for severe neurologic disorders or central sleep apnea.
Side Effects Of The BiPAP Machine
BiPAP devices are quite safe, with minimal risk of adverse effects. The majority of unwanted effects are considered to be rather mild. These might be some of them:
- General discomfort
- Nasal dryness
- Sinus pressure
- Bloating
- Mouth dryness
- Runny nose
- Skin irritation from the mask
If you’re suffering from congestion or dryness from wearing a BiPAP or comparable mask, or if the mask is too tight on the face, consider loosening it. If this does not work, you may use mask liners, but the best option is to try a new size or style of mask.
A BiPAP machine is a kind of ventilator used to relieve breathing disorders. It works similarly to a CPAP machine; however, unlike a CPAP, which provides continuous air pressure, a BiPAP delivers two air pressure levels.
Furthermore, BiPAP devices are usually prescribed for people with specific sleep apnea, obesity-hypoventilation syndrome, COPD, and neurological diseases that affect breathing, such as ALS.
