Question: What happens if you don’t use your CPAP machine? Read on to find out.
Most people who are using the CPAP machine for sleep apnea treatment can’t stop wondering what happens if they don’t use it for a night. You get the urge of interrupting the treatment every once in a while, when you are going on a vacation or just need a break due to cold.
Let’s look at the risks, dangers, consequences, side effects and residual benefits that comes with not using the machine regularly or stopping the treatment all together.
What Happens if You Don’t Use Your CPAP Machine?
Patients usually have a reason for taking a break from using the CPAP machine for a night ranging from being sick with common cold, taking a vacation or maybe discomfort. Some people compare the use of the CPAP machine to wearing glasses, they tend to believe that it only works when have it on which is not entirely true.
The CPAP machine provides residual benefits to patients even when you take a day break from using it. Snoring and obstructive sleep apnea can cause the tissues on the airway to swell within both the throat and nose. However, you can reduce the swelling with the CPAP therapy. This makes breathing easy especially during the day when you are not using the machine. When you stop using the device for some days, it will take a while for the swelling to occur even if it was initially present. This therefore means that the signs or symptoms of obstructive sleep apnea will not recur quickly.
Developing Long-Term Consequences Takes Time
Most patients often worry that they will put their health at risk when they take a break from using the CPAP machine for a night. The chances of death, heart arrythmia and stroke due to obstructive sleep apnea are very slim. It’s instead a long-term consequence for these medical conditions since it’s typically present for long. Compare it to smoking a cigarette only once, it won’t necessarily kill you but doing it over the years probably will. This means that being exposed to adverse effects associated with sleep apnea cumulatively is what risks your health. Also, breathing difficulties every other night can result in these problems.
Continuing to Using the CPAP Machine
Worry not about the risks that most people associate with not using the CPAP machine for several nights. You will breathe normally as you used to before starting to use the machine but with high chances of deriving some residual benefits from using it initially. Getting back to the CPAP therapy sooner is highly recommended for long-term health rewards. Consider using the full face CPAP mask for cold, travel CPAP for vacations and CPAP battery for camping to avoid interrupting your sleep apnea treatment.
Conclusion
Optimize your sleep apnea treatment by reaching out to your doctor if the need arises. Simple additions, adjustments and changes will ensure the machine works effectively for better results. This will increase the treatment benefits and also improve your health without unnecessary risks.
