How to Minimize Air Swallowing With CPAP

Using a continuous airway pressure, or CPAP, machine can radically improve the life of someone suffering from sleep apnea, a condition where the patient misses breaths or takes shallow breaths while sleeping. Using a CPAP machine not only helps you breathe, it helps eliminate the side effects of sleep apnea including frequent awakenings, morning headaches, memory loss, fatigue and "fog brain." Nevertheless, using a CPAP machine can lead to the unwanted and embarrassing side affect of aerophagia: bloating, belching, flatus (gas) and pain from swallowing air. Minimize aerophagia through simple adjustments to your treatment.

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Wedge pillow
• Gas reliever

1. Tilt head back while you sleep to keep the trachea (airway) open. Try sleeping with a wedge pillow or reducing the number of pillows you use. Air goes into your stomach through the esophagus when your head tilts forward.

2. Use the ramp feature on your machine, which allows the air pressure to gradually climb to your prescribed setting as you fall asleep.

3. Talk to your doctor about lowering the air pressure on your CPAP machine.

4. Switch to a bilevel pressure or BPAP machine for easier exaltation. BPAP machines have two levels of pressure, Inspiratory Positive Airway Pressure (IPAP) and a lower Expiratory Positive Airway Pressure (EPAP).

5. Upgrade to a C-Flex CPAP machine, which auto-adjusts the level of pressure while you sleep in order to deliver the lowest amount of pressure needed to keep your airway open. Your doctor can set a range for your machine, based upon the lowest and highest amount of air pressure suitable for your treatment.

6. Ask your doctor to recommend an over-the-counter gas reliever to take daily before bed or in the morning.

Tips & Warnings

• Talk to your health insurance about coverage and costs before upgrading or switching to a different machine.
• Do not lower the air pressure on your machine without first talking to your doctor; too low of pressure will not deliver the amount of air you need to sustain breathing.

References

• Mayo Clinic: CPAP machines: Tips for avoiding 10 common problems
• American Sleep Apnea Assocation: When Things Go Wrong With CPAP

Resources

• CPAP-Supply: Aerophagia in CPAP Users

Who Can Help Sponsored

• How to Lose 30+lbs Guaranteed. Try it Free.