What To Do When CPAP Doesn’t Work For You
Having a working CPAP machine is an incredibly important matter of health for countless sleep apnea sufferers, and in the absence of this vital medical device, those with sleep apnea can really suffer some serious health consequences.
What do you do, though, when you actually do have a CPAP machine and either aren’t sure that it’s helping or have absolutely determined that it’s not? For those who find themselves in this uncomfortable yet not too uncommon position, here’s the scoop on what to do next.
Is My CPAP Machine Working For Me Or Not?
First, if you aren’t entirely sure that your CPAP machine is working for you, be sure that you know the exact expectations you should realistically have of your machine. While most know that these devices are for helping regulate breathing and apnea issues, most are not familiar with the degree of apnea resolution these are able to provide or the exact, other, possible benefits entailed. Simply put, CPAP machines are solely designed to help open the wearer’s airways for better, more natural breathing when asleep.
With this said, there is no guarantee of exactly how effective they can be at performing this task from one user to the next. While virtually all apnea-suffering users benefit to some extent in better breathing with CPAP use, some users do, in fact, require additional intervention.
In other cases still, the apnea sufferer is so greatly aided by using a CPAP machine that they eventually no longer need it, as it has essentially “retrained” their body to maintain open airways on its own while in deep sleep.
It’s important to note that CPAP machines are not designed to cure snoring. They also do not cure mouth-breathing patterns. They do, however, create pressure in the airways that maintains a clear path for breathing.
If you still feel tired and groggy or are waking up to breathing cessation episodes after some time of using a CPAP machine, you may still be experiencing issues with unresolved apnea. One of the best ways to truly be aware of machine efficacy for certain, though, is through pulling a report from the machine.
In most cases, patients studied and subsequently diagnosed with sleep apnea are also provided with a baseline breathing cessation count which tells how often and for how long they usually stop breathing. Pull a current report and compare it to your original baseline report to see what the real numbers say.
Hoax Talk: The Real Hoax
Most laypersons understand that sleep apnea is a real medical issue, but even still, there persist some rumors out there that the treating CPAP machines themselves might be just a touch of modern-day snake oil. This hoax talk is completely untrue and only serves to stifle efforts of the unknowing to seek proper treatment.
CPAP machines are a proven and typically very helpful treatment for apnea sufferers. Even if the opinions of all the scientists and doctors in the world were discounted, there are countless CPAP users who will also attest to the efficacy of CPAP machines and the difficulty faced otherwise without them.
Reasons CPAPs May Not Be Effective
While CPAP machines generally provide significant help right off the bat to those who use them, sometimes, this isn’t always the case. If this sounds like you or you are a CPAP user who once noticed great results but then those eventually faded, this next section is just for you. The following represent the most common causes for CPAP machine failure and/or disappointment.
User-Side Issues
There are actually numerous, user-side issues that can cause ineffective experiences with a CPAP machine. Facial hair is one issue in which some masks are caused to not conform properly to the face to make the necessary, air-tight fit. Oily skin can also cause some slippage and seal failures in some mask models.
Machine maintenance failures also fall into this category. If a machine is using dirty filters or other dirty parts, this can cause a failure to provide the desired results. Also, if a machine has been placed in a position in which the air intake port is blocked or limited, this can cause sub-par performance and can even damage the machine.
Possible Solutions
To resolve possible facial hair conflicts without having to shave or get a drastic trim, consider inquiring with your CPAP machine and equipment provider. There are an ever-increasing number of masks and styles these days, and it may be possible to find one that works well despite the presence of facial hair. As to issues with oily skin, cleaning and properly drying the face just before using the CPAP machine can make a big difference.
Misdiagnoses
Being the victim of a misdiagnosis can be a terrible and even dangerous experience in some cases. Fortunately, in situations where sleep apnea is misdiagnosed and a CPAP machine is then prescribed, there is little risk of harm in using the machine although there is no actual apnea present. The most common conditions that can lead to a misdiagnosis of apnea include hypothyroidism, hyperthyroidism, obesity hypoventilation, and narcolepsy.
Possible Solutions
If you think that you may have been misdiagnosed with sleep apnea, then it’s very possible that a CPAP machine is of little use for your true medical condition. The next thing to do at this point is to contact your doctor right away. Schedule an appointment as soon as possible in order to voice your concerns and look at other options. If your doctor is against this, a second opinion from another doctor may not be a bad idea.
Setup/Adjustment Issues
Setup and adjustment can take some dialing in on your side and your doctor’s side too in some cases. Many machines these days are set to a certain pressure range via the prescribing doctor’s actual prescription for the machine. There are also ramp-up options and heat and humidity options on the user side that can all be adjusted for maximum user benefit.
Possible Solutions
While CPAP machines aren’t terribly complicated to learn, there are just enough controls on most to definitely justify a good read-through of the instructions, despite any prior visual demonstrations given by a doctor or equipment provider.
In most cases where adjustments are the cause for ineffective machine use, user familiarity just needs to improve a little more so that those perfect, personalized adjustments can be dialed in successfully. If an adjustment must be made by the prescribing doctor, a simple call and request with that doctor is usually all that’s needed.
Hardware/Software Malfunctions
In very rare cases, CPAP machines can experience hardware and/or software problems. Examples of hardware problems can include cracked chambers, damaged tubing, or damaged or worn ports. Faulty software can present itself with a blank screen, malfunctioning operation, or zero operation.
Possible Solutions
A solid look-over of your machine is a good idea every once in a while, even if it is functioning well. In situations where the machine doesn’t seem to be working for you, it’s even more important to do a good inspection. If you think there may be a hardware or software issue, contact the equipment provider for further instruction. Do not attempt repairs or alterations yourself.
CPAP Alternatives
On rare occasion, some sleep apnea sufferers can find themselves in a niche situation where symptoms continue to escalate or be otherwise unresolved, and continued use of a CPAP machine, despite all troubleshooting, is failing to resolve the issue. This may call for an alternative solution to the use of a CPAP machine. There are several, possible alternatives, but it’s critical to work with your doctor in determining which is the right route for you.
The following five alternative approaches to sleep apnea resolution represent the most common, clinically-backed, safest options.
Specialty Pillows
There are many, specialized pillows on the market today, and many of those are, in fact, designed to help with issues like sleep apnea. Sometimes, these pillows can provide some relief in those with mild apnea. However, those with moderate to severe forms of apnea are rarely adequately aided by any specialty pillow alone.
Mandibular Advancement Device
A mandibular advancement device, or MAD for short, is a special mouthpiece that’s worn to bed and that can help some with sleep apnea to find relief. Concisely explained by the experts at WebMD, MADs help your “lower jaw ease forward, which helps keep your airway open.” These devices look similar to mouthguards worn by many athletes today but operate specifically to help ease the symptoms of apnea.
BiPAP Machine
A BiPAP machine looks and functions much like a CPAP machine but with a significant difference. In BiPAP machines, there is a pressure difference offered depending on whether the user is inhaling or exhaling. Per the experts at Johns Hopkins School of Medicine and elsewhere throughout the medical community, these devices can be a key solution in those with a variety of conditions including sleep apnea, pneumonia, asthma, certain neurological conditions that affect breathing, and others.
Surgical Intervention
Surgical intervention represents yet one more way to combat sleep apnea if your CPAP machine doesn’t ultimately provide enough relief or resolution. As discussed by the experts in sleep medicine at The Mayo Clinic maxillomandibular advancement surgery is one common approach to resolving sleep apnea issues permanently. There are numerous other procedures that can help as well including tonsillectomy and adenoidectomy.
Surgery is certainly the most invasive option in tackling sleep apnea, but it can also be the most effective. While some worry about the risks of such surgical approaches, the alternative risks associated with unchecked sleep apnea are almost guaranteed to ultimately be much worse. As with all other routes of action, heavy doctor involvement is the best approach in making the best, most medically-sound decision.
Improve Your Overall Health
While sleep apnea certainly can be attributed to numerous causes that are out of your own personal control, there are still many other contributing factors to sleep apnea and its severity that can be controlled quite well. An excellent rundown of the various possible causes of sleep apnea can be found at the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute website.
If you are a smoker, a heavy drinker, are obese, or don’t get enough exercise or otherwise take good care of your health, you are likely contributing directly to this condition that you are also fighting so hard to alleviate.
CPAP Complements
So, what should you do if you’ve considered all of the above factors and tips, still wish to try using a CPAP machine, but still see a lot of room for improvement? There are a number of complements that you can simply try adding to your nightly CPAP routine that may be just the right component to really get you over the symptomatic hump. The following five tips can provide just that extra support that you may be in need of.
Specialty Pillows
We touched on the use of specialty pillows above as a possible replacement for CPAP machine use in mild cases of apnea, but as an additional complement to machine use, specialty pillows can be an excellent approach to consider. With a setup like this, your machine works on keeping your airways open via air pressure while your pillows work to maintain that same clearance but through better positioning of your body, neck, and head. This combo is sometimes the perfect arrangement for sleep apnea sufferers.
Raised Bed
Sleeping in an elevated position can also help sleep apnea sufferers. If pillows and other means don’t provide sufficient head incline, inclining the head-end of your bed is a relatively simple option. Elevating an otherwise flat bed can be safely done through the purchase of stacking bed-lift cubes or even some simple ingenuity at home. Others still choose to go with a professionally-designed bed that is able to adjust and incline on its own as needed.
Improve Overall Health
It’s worth mentioning again; Improved overall health is shown to often directly reduce or alleviate sleep apnea and its symptoms in many sufferers. To that end, improved health can’t be recommended enough as both a possible end-game alternative to using a CPAP machine as well as a great complement therein. For those who choose to actively pursue better health, via quitting smoking, dieting, or some other method, keeping a journal to log your progress and apnea-related experiences can be a very helpful idea.
Meditation/Stress Reduction Techniques
Finally, the incorporation of some serious stress-reduction activities into the daytime and/or bedtime routine can also have a decidedly resounding effect on the whole battle against sleep apnea. This is because of the role that stress itself can sometimes play in apnea and its severity of symptoms. Aromatherapy and audiotherapy techniques offer some great options for some for de-stressing while counseling and other therapy approaches can lead to some great, complementing results in others.
Final Words
In conclusion, it can be a really disheartening and uncomfortable experience to have trouble with a CPAP machine or even doubt your machine’s efficacy or applicability to your particular situation. Beyond discomfort and upset, though, unchecked apnea can be a very real danger. Leaving this health condition unchecked is therefore not an option.
The road to ultimately getting sleep apnea firmly under control or even resolved can be a winding path for some. If that sounds like you, stay strong and diligent – better days and nights lie ahead! Finally, always remember to utilize your doctors, friends, family, and even networks and associations related to apnea and any other struggles you may have, as they are resources worth leaning on throughout the process.
