Continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) is a popular and reliable treatment for obstructive sleep apnea that requires regular monitoring from a sleep specialist. Board-certified pulmonologist and sleep specialist Eli E. Hendel, MD, provides CPAP therapy and follow-ups from his private practice in Glendale, California. Find out more about CPAP and whether or not you’re a candidate by calling Eli E. Hendel, MD, or booking an appointment online today.
Continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) is a treatment for obstructive sleep apnea. It involves the nightly use of a machine, while you sleep, which has a mask that either goes over your nose and mouth or just your nose. A flexible tube attaches the mask to a motor, which sends a filtered airstream into your airway at a constant pressure.
The oxygen that travels from your CPAP machine and into your airways opens your airways, which may be closed or constricted due to obstructive sleep apnea. With CPAP, you can breathe all night as you sleep and get the oxygen your body needs to function at its best throughout the day.
CPAP is a treatment for a sleep breathing disorder called obstructive sleep apnea, which happens when the tissues around your airways collapse at night, causing your airways to constrict or close. This makes it hard for you to get the oxygen you need at night. The most prominent symptom of CPAP is pauses in breathing. Snoring is also a possible symptom.
Without treatment, obstructive sleep apnea leads to daytime difficulties and health complications involving the cardiovascular system. You should consider visiting Dr. Hendel for an evaluation and possible sleep study if you experience:
A sleep study involves either spending the night in a certified sleep lab for observation, or taking home equipment that records various measurements as you sleep. Either way, Dr. Hendel analyzes the results and goes over them with you. He can tell if CPAP is the best route for your treatment, or if another device is a better option in your case.
As you undergo treatment for obstructive sleep apnea with CPAP, Dr. Hendel helps you schedule regular visits to monitor your progress and adjust your treatment plan, if necessary. Around 30-90 days after you start CPAP, you must come in for an initial follow-up visit so Dr. Hendel can read information from the device’s data card.
Dr. Hendel’s office is equipped with software that supports and reads information from some of the top CPAP device manufacturers. If you ever need replacements for the tubing or mask portions of your CPAP device, Dr. Hendel can arrange them for you. He also provides adjustments to the pressure settings on your device if you need them.
To schedule an appointment and learn more about CPAP therapy for obstructive sleep apnea, call Eli E. Hendel, MD, or book your visit online today.
