Using PAP therapy, especially for the first time is a unique experience. At first blush it would seem to be claustrophobic and difficult to use because it is in your face, yet we see people using it every night and achieving great results. So, why is PAP therapy so successful?
Really it comes down to a number of factors. The first is that it is a proven system that consistently and reliably treats almost all cases of obstructive sleep apnea. Health Care providers tend to gravitate to things that they know will work, and for the last 35+ years PAP therapy has worked wonders. The toughest part of PAP therapy is keeping people on it when they need it, as it is not the most fun therapy in the world, and it does have a maintenance cost in the form of replacement parts associated with it.
Another major reason that we use PAP therapy is that while it does have a cost associated with it, it is less expensive than the alternatives. Take such as surgery. It can easily cost over ten times as much as CPAP use and the efficacy rate is no where close to what we do with PAP therapy. Then there is the painful recovery, and the failures that still need to use PAP therapy even after the surgery. The surgeon can do the best job possible with your nose and throat and you may still end up needing PAP therapy.
The last major reason we continue to use PAP therapy 35 years later is the morning after effect. A good night of therapy sleep really makes a difference in a patient’s life. They have more energy, less depression, better blood sugar, better blood pressure. There are a whole host of reasons that their quality of life is improved and in general are better equipped to handle the day that is ahead of them.
It is incredibly important to make sure that the sleep you get is beneficial so that you can be the best you while you are awake. Failure to do this can cause a large host of problems. Take some time to talk to your doctor about how you are sleeping, and how your bed partner says you are sleeping.