CPAP Question

soul4hymn · Post by **soul4hymn** » Sun Mar 12, 2006 11:49 pm

Do these machines use oxygen? Or is it just water? I'm asking because I have sleep apnea (undiagnosed) I don't have insurance and can't afford the sleep study. My mom has a cpap machine but said it ran on oxygen. She hasn't used it in 6 months. I am totally ignorant on this and desperate to find a temporary solution. I've noticed talks about humidifiers and distilled water, but nothing about oxygen. Maybe mom is mistaken. Any help will be appreciated.

rested gal · Post by **rested gal** » Mon Mar 13, 2006 2:32 am

A CPAP machine (Continuous Positive Air Pressure) doesn't use oxygen or water. It simply has a fan in it that blows air out. Attach a hose and a mask to the machine and the blowing air blows into your nose while you breathe. It doesn't force air in...you have to breathe the air in, but it's just plain room air.

A humidifier can be added (lots of people like that.) Oxygen can be added (some people need that.) But the CPAP machine itself is just an air blower.

Many people with sleep apnea have throats that are apt to collapse shut, over and over again, not letting us breathe air in when we relax totally during sleep. Breathing in air that's being pushed harder at you by a CPAP machine helps keep the throat open.

Maybe your mom has an oxygen machine, not a CPAP machine at all. Not the same thing.

capt · Post by **capt** » Tue Mar 14, 2006 3:48 pm

You can also use bottled oxygen during cpap treatment, if the mask is ported for it. Those masks are easily converted to not using an oxygen line by closing the port opening.