CPAP therapy is the best treatment for conditions such as OSA or Obstructive Sleep Apnea because the treatment is non-invasive, safe and very effective. But, just like any form of treatment, there are some risks and side effects with CPAP therapy.

However, CPAP therapy generally has mild side effects, but it could still be annoying and cause patients to give up the treatment altogether. The best part is, these symptoms can be treated easily. Here are the common side effects and the solutions that can be implemented while using the CPAP therapy:

Nasal Congestion

The most commonly observed side effect is irritation or congestion in the nasal passage. The symptoms could include running nose, stuffy nose, nosebleeds or burning sensation.

This nasal congestion occurs due to the continuous flow of pressurized dry air via the sinuses. Therefore, nasal congestion could be predominantly experienced by patients who have chronic sinus issues.

Solution

• To find relief from the condition for a brief time, you can use the nasal saline spray, which moisturises the nasal passage and prevents nasal congestion.

• For a better long term solution, you could choose the CPAP humidifier machine.

• The humidifier gives the airflow added moisture. This helps relieve the dryness in the nose and provides relief from the irritation as well. You could even use the heated humidifier, which could free you from nasal congestion. In addition, the humidification offers gentle warmth to the air and moisturizes it for a more natural feel to the air you breathe.
  

Dry Mouth

Some patients experience dry throat or dry mouth when they wake up in the morning. This is experienced by patients who are mouth breathers. Dryness of mouth mainly happens due to breathing dry and pressurised air overnight during your sleep.

This mild side effect is commonly observed among patients that use full-face CPAP masks. However, people using the nasal pillow mask or the ResMed nasal mask can also experience this condition due to a condition called the mouth leak. The mouth leak usually occurs when the patient is asleep with their mouth open, while the pressurised air escapes from the open mouth when exhaling.

Solution

• Using the nasal CPAP masks or the nasal pillow mask, the patient needs to consider using the chin strap. The CPAP chin strap helps you to keep the mouth closed when sleeping. These are designed for use with the ResMed nasal mask and provide comprehensive results.

• Regardless of the kind of CPAP masks online used for sleep apnea therapy, the CPAP humidifier adds more moisture to the pressurised air, which helps soften the dryness in the airflow and prevents you from getting a dry mouth during sleep.
  

Dry Eyes

A few patients may wake up in the morning to find dry eyes. This occurs when there is a leak in the masks. The air escapes through the leaks to the point where the CPAP masks online touch the face. This air blows across the face drying the eyes during sleep. Unfortunately, the patient is not able to notice the leak or the quantity of leak when sleeping or when they change their sleeping position through the night. But by implementing the easy solution, the patient can prevent their eyes from getting drier while using the CPAP therapy.

Solution

• The first thing that patients need to ensure is that the mask should fit correctly on the face. Next, readjust the fitting after the patient lies down in a preferred position for sleeping. This step is important because the face changes its shape when it lays down.

• Check the headgear. It should not be very loose or very tight. Loose straps allow the pressurised air to escape. But a very tight strap can also lead to leaks as they obstruct the cushion from proper sealing.

• If the mask requires the cushion to inflate, you need to hold the mask slightly over the face and allow it to create the necessary CPAP pressure.

• If the face mask leaks even after a refitting, then it needs to be replaced, and you have to buy a CPAP mask. For effective sleep apnea therapy, you need to replace the cushions every 4 weeks, the headgear every 7 months, and the mask frame after 3 months.

Gas, Burping, and Bloating

When you keep the CPAP machine on a higher pressure setting, there is a chance that you may swallow air when sleeping. This condition is termed aerophagia. When the continuous pressurised air flow becomes very difficult to breathe, this air gets redirected into the oesophagus. The symptoms of the air getting into the oesophagus include burping, bloating, passing gas, and stomach pain.

Solution

• Talk to the CPAP therapy specialist or the doctor about adjusting the pressure settings to the desired levels. You must never try to adjust the pressure settings on the machine without proper supervision from the sleep specialist or the doctor.

These are the top solutions to resolve the milder side effects of CPAP therapy. However, if you want to buy CPAP masks, please visit MyCPAP today.