If you are undergoing CPAP therapy and regularly wake up to pain on both sides of your head, you may be experiencing a CPAP headache.
Apply a Hot or Cold Pack: Depending on the cause of your headache, heat and/or ice are a quick and easy way to manage headaches. Heat reduces pain and/or muscle tension. Meanwhile, ice is great for swelling and inflammation.
Medical Disclaimer: This content is for informational purposes and does not constitute medical advice. Please consult a health care provider prior to starting a new treatment or making changes to your treatment plan.
Those who find the noise of a CPAP bothersome may also prefer the quieter design of an EPAP. Although you can buy travel CPAP machines, patients who travel frequently may still prefer the significantly lighter, more compact design of an EPAP, which also doesn’t require the lengthy, regular cleaning process that a CPAP does.
As you adjust to breathing with a CPAP machine, this will most likely get better over time, but there are other things you can do to help yourself breathe a little easier.
, in their prospective study with long-term follow-up, treated 14 patients with moderate to severe OSA with transoral robotic surgery to the tongue base, and additional wedge epiglottoplasty in ten of the patients; there were statistically significant improvements in mean AHI (overall 51% reduction, with normal postoperative sleep study results in 36% of patients), mean Epworth Sleepiness Score, mean oxygen saturations and in quality of life markers (64). It is worth noting that in this study the robust selection more info criteria included an AHI of at least 15, failure to tolerate CPAP and MAS and importantly, in the context of this article, a BMI of less than 35 kg/m2 and DISE evaluation demonstrating tongue base collapse with or without epiglottic collapse, highlighting the importance of these latter two factors in successful outcomes (64).
Struggling with this sometimes challenging therapy? Our CPAP guide can ease your way and help you get a better night's rest.
The approval was based on clinical trial data from a cohort of 73 patients with severe OSA who were treated with the Vivos appliances over a median treatment duration of nove.
If you find that the mask that felt right during your fitting is uncomfortable after a few nights, or that it’s difficult to adjust, contact your sleep medicine doctor or the medical equipment provider. You may need advice on adjusting or a different style of mask.
Kenzie Dubs Kenzie is a science-based content writer who has a passion for educating the public on the healing powers of sleep! She graduated with a bachelor's degree in biology in 2016 and went on to earn a second degree in nuclear medicine shortly after. She has several years of professional experience in healthcare, including emergency medicine, radiology, and general care.
PAP failure is defined as an inability to eliminate OSA (AHI of greater than 15 despite PAP usage), and PAP intolerance is defined as:
If you’re fed up with your CPAP, schedule an evaluation at our office to see if oral appliance therapy might be a good alternative for you.
Most studies evaluating the effectiveness of positional therapy are based on data from small, uncontrolled studies with relatively short-term follow up. A few observational trials with longer-term follow suggest that compliance with positional therapy over time is poor. Thus, positional therapy using various modalities should typically be recommended for patients as a secondary or supplemental therapy.
The latest clearance comes less than a year after the FDA granted Vivos 510(k) clearance for the DNA oral appliance to treat mild to moderate OSA.