Sleep apnea affects at least 12 million Americans. People who suffer from it have gaps in their breathing which can last from a few seconds to a few minutes and may occur from five to thirty times or more an hour. Each gap is called an apnea, Left untreated, the disorder can be very debilitating. Both adults and children are affected and the effects can ruin a good night of sleep, which very often causes physical and behavioral issues during the day. There is a good chance that some individuals that appear to be especially drowsy or moody day in and day out are not party animals, but rather victims of sleep apnea.
A proven treatment for this disorder is positive airway pressure (PAP). This is a method of respiratory ventilation that is also used to treat individuals with respiratory failure. To prevent sleep apnea patients from spending their lives in a hospital, they can regain a good nights sleep with a CPAP full face mask. CPAP stands for continuous positive airway pressure and these special masks can be purchased online. These masks break the cycle of obstructive sleep apnea by keeping the breathing airway open and it is extremely effective. The only individuals in which this treatment does not seem to work for, are the people who only use the face mask for part of the night or worse, not at all. Historically, 20% of patients could not tolerate the equipment being attached to their faces. Over time the technology has improved and now wearing a CPAP full face mask is just as comfortable as it is effective
Much like the vision impaired need a period to adjust to wearing contact lenses for the first time, sleep apnea patients may take a few weeks to get used to the change. But once they are in the habit of using the face mask all the time, their lives will improve dramatically. It is important to choose a model that fits since there are a variety of shapes and sizes available. No one needs to settle for anything less than what makes them the most comfortable. You can learn more about them on the Internet.
