Table of ContentsView AllTable of ContentsWhat Is APAP?Reasons for ItGetting a PrescriptionTreatmentTypesSummary
Table of ContentsView All
View All
Table of Contents
What Is APAP?
Reasons for It
Getting a Prescription
Treatment
Types
Summary
APAP, or automatic positive airway pressure, is a type of therapy to treatbreathing challenges during sleepas well as the machine used to provide the treatment.Like other positive airway pressure (PAP) devices, APAP helps people withsleep apneabreathe while sleeping.
Learn about the conditions treated with APAP, its use, treatment outcomes, and more.
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What Is an APAP Machine?
Conditions Treated With APAP
APAP is used to treat two different types of sleep apnea, which are:
Sleep apnea is also linked to heart conditions such as heart failure.Treatment options for sleep apnea vary depending on disease severity and individual response to treatment.
How Do You Get an APAP Machine?
A healthcare provider will order a test to observe your sleep patterns (polysomnography). This test may be done in a sleep lab or in your home.While testing at home may be more convenient and cost less than testing in a lab, it is less comprehensive, and you may be asked to do additional testing in a lab.
Who Treats Sleep Disorders?
In addition to diagnosing medical conditions related to sleep, these healthcare providers may also be able to prescribe an APAP machine or other sleep apnea treatment options.
Types of PAP Devices
Each type of machine has various attachments that fit on the face, mouth, or nose to deliver the air, which is crucial for effective treatment.Each type of machine has different benefits, and the ideal option depends on the person, the kind ofsleep apneathey experience, and how well the treatment controls their symptoms.
APAP vs. CPAP
Continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP)is the most common treatment option for sleep apnea.As the name suggests, this machine provides constant air pressure, maintaining the same pressure level throughout sleep.
APAP vs. BiPAP
Bilevel positive airway pressure (BiPAP)is a sleep apnea treatment that helps people with sleep apnea breathe throughout sleep.Like APAP machines, BiPAP machines can deliver different air pressure levels during sleep.However, they are set to have only two different pressure levels; one level is for breathing in, and the other is for breathing out.
The bi-level functionality of the BiPAP allows for a higher level of pressure for inhaling than could be tolerated while exhaling, which can help improve breathing in people who cannot completely control their symptoms with CPAP.APAP machines automatically adjust the pressure throughout the night, while BiPAP machines do not.
Outcomes With APAP
Sleep apnea is a serious health condition because it affects sleep, which is essential for health and quality of life. It can also lead to other health concerns, such as:
PAP therapy is generally the first treatment option for people with sleep apnea.People who can’t tolerate CPAP may tolerate APAP.It is an effective treatment for sleep apnea, and people with this condition can manage their symptoms and live healthy lives.
Sleep apnea is a serious medical condition affecting sleep quality and leads to health concerns. Automatic positive airway pressure (APAP) is a way of treating sleep apnea involving a machine that delivers air through tubes connected to a face mask that covers the nose, mouth, or both.
Unlike other types of positive airway pressure devices, APAP can measure the breathing of the person using it and automatically adjust the pressure setting during sleep. APAP is an effective treatment option for many people. Healthcare providers specializing in sleep can help diagnose and treat sleep apnea.
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20 Sources
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Sleep Foundation.APAP machines: a guide to treatment.Harvard Medical School.Understanding PAP.NIH National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute.What is sleep apnea?Sleep Foundation.APAP vs CPAP.American Academy of Sleep Medicine.Obstructive sleep apnea.American Academy of Sleep Medicine.Central sleep apnea.Salas RE, Chakravarthy R, Sher A, Gamaldo CE.Management of sleep apnea in the neurology patient.Neurol Clin Pract. 2014;4(1):44-52. doi:10.1212/01.CPJ.0000442583.87327.5dSleep Foundation.Do you need a prescription for a CPAP machine?Penn Medicine.Sleep apnea diagnosis and evaluation.Laratta CR, Ayas NT, Povitz M, Pendharkar SR.Diagnosis and treatment of obstructive sleep apnea in adults.CMAJ. 2017;189(48):E1481-E1488. doi:10.1503/Fcmaj.170296Johns Hopkins Medicine.What to know about an at-home sleep test.University of Miami Health Systems.Sleep medicine.Sleep Foundation.What are the different types of CPAP machines?Genta PR, Kaminska M, Edwards BA, et al.The importance of mask selection on continuous positive airway pressure outcomes for obstructive sleep apnea. An official American Thoracic Society workshop report.Ann Am Thorac Soc. 2020;17(10):1177-1185. doi:10.1513/AnnalsATS.202007-864STSleep Apnea Organization.What are the different types of CPAP machines?NIH National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute.Sleep apnea: treatment.Johns Hopkins Medicine.BiPap.American Lung Association.Learn about sleep apnea.Pavwoski P, Shelgikar AV.Treatment options for obstructive sleep apnea.Neurol Clin Pract. 2017;7(1):77-85. doi:10.1212/CPJ.0000000000000320Perin1 C, Rodrigues Genta2 P.Less may be more: CPAP vs. APAP in the treatment of obstructive sleep apnea.J Bras Pneumol. Published online December 31, 2021:e20210455. doi:10.36416/1806-3756/e20210455
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.
Sleep Foundation.APAP machines: a guide to treatment.Harvard Medical School.Understanding PAP.NIH National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute.What is sleep apnea?Sleep Foundation.APAP vs CPAP.American Academy of Sleep Medicine.Obstructive sleep apnea.American Academy of Sleep Medicine.Central sleep apnea.Salas RE, Chakravarthy R, Sher A, Gamaldo CE.Management of sleep apnea in the neurology patient.Neurol Clin Pract. 2014;4(1):44-52. doi:10.1212/01.CPJ.0000442583.87327.5dSleep Foundation.Do you need a prescription for a CPAP machine?Penn Medicine.Sleep apnea diagnosis and evaluation.Laratta CR, Ayas NT, Povitz M, Pendharkar SR.Diagnosis and treatment of obstructive sleep apnea in adults.CMAJ. 2017;189(48):E1481-E1488. doi:10.1503/Fcmaj.170296Johns Hopkins Medicine.What to know about an at-home sleep test.University of Miami Health Systems.Sleep medicine.Sleep Foundation.What are the different types of CPAP machines?Genta PR, Kaminska M, Edwards BA, et al.The importance of mask selection on continuous positive airway pressure outcomes for obstructive sleep apnea. An official American Thoracic Society workshop report.Ann Am Thorac Soc. 2020;17(10):1177-1185. doi:10.1513/AnnalsATS.202007-864STSleep Apnea Organization.What are the different types of CPAP machines?NIH National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute.Sleep apnea: treatment.Johns Hopkins Medicine.BiPap.American Lung Association.Learn about sleep apnea.Pavwoski P, Shelgikar AV.Treatment options for obstructive sleep apnea.Neurol Clin Pract. 2017;7(1):77-85. doi:10.1212/CPJ.0000000000000320Perin1 C, Rodrigues Genta2 P.Less may be more: CPAP vs. APAP in the treatment of obstructive sleep apnea.J Bras Pneumol. Published online December 31, 2021:e20210455. doi:10.36416/1806-3756/e20210455
Sleep Foundation.APAP machines: a guide to treatment.
Harvard Medical School.Understanding PAP.
NIH National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute.What is sleep apnea?
Sleep Foundation.APAP vs CPAP.
American Academy of Sleep Medicine.Obstructive sleep apnea.
American Academy of Sleep Medicine.Central sleep apnea.
Salas RE, Chakravarthy R, Sher A, Gamaldo CE.Management of sleep apnea in the neurology patient.Neurol Clin Pract. 2014;4(1):44-52. doi:10.1212/01.CPJ.0000442583.87327.5d
Sleep Foundation.Do you need a prescription for a CPAP machine?
Penn Medicine.Sleep apnea diagnosis and evaluation.
Laratta CR, Ayas NT, Povitz M, Pendharkar SR.Diagnosis and treatment of obstructive sleep apnea in adults.CMAJ. 2017;189(48):E1481-E1488. doi:10.1503/Fcmaj.170296
Johns Hopkins Medicine.What to know about an at-home sleep test.
University of Miami Health Systems.Sleep medicine.
Sleep Foundation.What are the different types of CPAP machines?
Genta PR, Kaminska M, Edwards BA, et al.The importance of mask selection on continuous positive airway pressure outcomes for obstructive sleep apnea. An official American Thoracic Society workshop report.Ann Am Thorac Soc. 2020;17(10):1177-1185. doi:10.1513/AnnalsATS.202007-864ST
Sleep Apnea Organization.What are the different types of CPAP machines?
NIH National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute.Sleep apnea: treatment.
Johns Hopkins Medicine.BiPap.
American Lung Association.Learn about sleep apnea.
Pavwoski P, Shelgikar AV.Treatment options for obstructive sleep apnea.Neurol Clin Pract. 2017;7(1):77-85. doi:10.1212/CPJ.0000000000000320
Perin1 C, Rodrigues Genta2 P.Less may be more: CPAP vs. APAP in the treatment of obstructive sleep apnea.J Bras Pneumol. Published online December 31, 2021:e20210455. doi:10.36416/1806-3756/e20210455
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