Will I Need to Use a CPAP Machine Forever?
Let’s begin this conversation by discussing why we wear contact lenses or glasses. We don’t wear glasses because we like the feeling of them sliding down or nose or pressing on our face, and we certainly don’t wear contact lenses because we like sticking our fingers in our eyes! We use the products because they improve our quality of life. We want to live life to it’s fullest. We want to see! Shouldn’t it be the same with your continuous positive airway pressure machine?
Sleep apnea is a serious medical condition which greatly impacts your quality of life, even if you don’t realize it yet. Sleep apnea deprives your body of oxygen, making you more exhausted during the day, concentration more difficult, and even contributing to weight gain and cardiovascular disease. If we aren’t worried about wearing glasses for the rest of our lives, why are we so nervous about keeping up with our continuous positive airway pressure therapy?
Will I ever be able to stop using my machine?
Alright, you’re still wondering if you’ve got a chance to move away from your CPAP machine. Then answer to this question is: it depends.
For some, weight gain is the culprit behind their sleep apnea and after they’ve gotten a new sense of energy from CPAP therapy, they’re able to exercise more often, and bam! The weight is off and they’re breathing normally again without that excess weight on their neck and chest.
However, for many, genetics plays a major role in the condition and patients of all shapes and sizes are suffering from the disease for an entirely different reason. Especially with central sleep apnea, or obstructive sleep apnea caused by positioning or tongue placement, going off continuous positive airway pressure therapy might not be an option.
Evaluate What Makes You Nervous
Finding out why you’re really concerned with forever treatment is a good place to start before worrying about whether or not you can quit using your CPAP. Are you embarrassed? Are you having trouble finding the right fitting mask? We provide top rated, excellent quality CPAP equipment from reliable brands like Respironics, Fisher and Paykel, and ResMed. We’d love to help you solve your road blocks to treatment because we believe that when you decide to treat your sleep apnea, you decide to live to your full potential.
