The Most Common CPAP Therapy Discomfort Issues (And Solutions)

When a patient is diagnosed with obstructive sleep apnea condition, there are not many options (fully successful) on how to handle it. They can either continue to live with it, which is dangerous (in some cases lethal), or they can try to resolve it. The most effective therapy for sleep apnea is CPAP therapy. 

The CPAP therapy was popularized 40-50 years ago and since then has been on the rise as the most effective solution for the sleep apnea condition. The therapy is medically prescribed and requires the use of a CPAP machine and equipment which pushes the pressurized air into the patient's airways and thus keeps them open all the time.

Getting Used To Wearing The Face Mask

The most common problem is getting used to wearing a face mask.

There are 3 types of CPAP face masks:

• Full face mask
• Nasal mask
• Nasal pillow mask
  
  

Besides these 3 main face mask types, there are also special CPAP masks: Total face mask, Oral mask, Hybrid mask. You can read more about CPAP face masks in one of our previous articles. See which mask fits you the best.

All of the mentioned face masks cover at least some part of the face and all are connected to the CPAP machine via an air hose. This is, in most cases, an issue for patients. Wearing a mask limits the movement during the night, can cause rash, allergic reactions or infections, claustrophobic reactions, involuntary taking CPAP mask off while sleeping…

How to handle and resolve these issues?

• The first step is getting used to wearing the face mask and that is done simply by wearing a mask during the day. The patient should simply wear a mask while watching TV, reading, resting. Start with 15 minutes, and from there increase and slowly start wearing it during the night as well. This part is especially important for people with claustrophobia.
  
  
• Depending on the mask type, movement during sleep can be quite limited. Bulkier masks can cause an issue to patients used to sleeping on the side. The solution for this is using the CPAP pillow. It is a special kind of pillow, designed and shaped to fit the face mask when laying on the side.
  
  
• In most cases, rash, allergies, or infections from CPAP face masks are is caused by infrequent cleaning of the mask. Keeping your CPAP mask cleaned and sanitized is a must! Not only that regular sanitizing will keep your mask clean and healthy (if not cleaned regularly, your mask becomes a home to all sorts of germs and mold), but it will keep it functioning properly longer (mineralization shortens masks lifetime significantly). And the most efficient way to clean your mask is by using CPAP Cleaner Ozone Sterilizer Disinfector Sanitizer (short, CPAP Ozone Disinfector), for which we can recommend PrimeClean® PLUS CPAP Cleaner.  
  
  
• Resolving the involuntary taking CPAP mask off while sleeping is mostly by getting used to wearing a mask (as mentioned, first wear a mask during the day…). An additional solution is getting the additional or different face mask straps, to keep the mask in place. However, this can also cause further irritations since mask straps are in direct contact with the skin…solution for this might be the CPAP Strap Covers. It is an accessory used for cushioning for CPAP straps.
  

General Issues With Getting Used To CPAP Therapy

Besides the issues with the CPAP face mask, tubing/hose, face straps…there are a few more things that might make getting used to CPAP therapy an issue. Breathing in forced air cause some people to feel discomfort and confusion, dry mount or stuffy nose also might occur, and even the noise from the CPAP machine can be an issue to some.

Breathing In Forced Air

Continuous Positive Airway Pressure (CPAP) therapy is a treatment for Obstructive sleep apnea. It is the process in which CPAP machines work by pressurizing air that is delivered through a hose and mask into the airway during sleep. The steady flow of air keeps the airway open, improving respiration and sleep quality¹. Some patients have an issue with breathing in the pressurized air pushed in their airways. This can cause discomfort and confusion, even panic. How to deal with this?

You may be able to resolve this issue by setting the ramp setting on the CPAP machine in such a way that at first, you have low pressure, which will automatically, gradually increase to a prescribed level. If this doesn’t work for you, besides the CPAP machine, there 2 more types of PAP machines: Bi-PAP and APAP.

BiPAP machine offers two levels of airway pressure: one for inhalation and another one for exhalation, which helps with exhalation (lower air pressure level on the exhale helps feeling more natural with the breathing process).

APAP machine offers automated adjustment of air pressure. APAP uses smart algorithms to determine what air pressure a patient requires while asleep. If in time, a patient cannot get used to continuous air pressure, APAP comes as the best solution.

Dry Mouth And/or Stuffed Or Running Nose

Usually, there is a simple solution for this problem and that is using a CPAP humidifier or, even better, a heated humidifier. If you already have one, adjusting the humidifier level settings could resolve the problem.

Loud CPAP machine

Not much a patient can do in this case… Most modern CPAP machines are very silent and it is usually just a matter of a few days before a patient gets used to it. If it takes time or continues to be an issue, the solution could be earplugs… However, if the CPAP machine was not so loud before, but started being loud, it could be that something is not working properly (air filter is not clean or is blocked, or maybe some mechanical issue). In this case, if it’s not the filter, the best solution is to take the machine to an authorized service or seller.

No Matter How Much Discomfort It Can Cause, It Is Still Better Than Untreated Sleep Apnea

Some patients just can't get used to CPAP equipment… Luckily, in time, most patients "learn" how to live with CPAP, sometimes it takes a longer, and sometimes shorter time. There are a lot of accessories that can help during this process (different mask types, CPAP pillows, strap covers, humidifiers, nose sprays…), and of course, sharing the experience with other patients that just might have the perfect advice.

Living with sleep apnea can be complex and uncomfortable, but CPAP therapy is the best solution, for now.