If you suffer from chronic obstructive pulmonary disease or COPD, you’re probably aware that this disease is a group of lung conditions. The conditions which might belong here include chronic bronchitis and emphysema. Hence, COPD is a chronic condition due to which breathing is difficult. It might trigger coughing and discomfort in the chest. It is a progressive disease and it usually gets worse over time. You cannot cure this condition, but using the right treatment will definitely slow the progression and alleviate symptoms.

Having this disease usually means having less oxygen in your body. That’s why keeping healthy levels of oxygen in the bloodstream is crucial is you want to have a healthy brain and fully functioning organs and tissues. As COPD usually occurs as a result of long-term smoking, of a thickening of the walls of your airways or excessive mucus production in the airways. It is often the case that the thickening and mucus clog the pathway of air to the lungs.

In order to alleviate COPD symptoms, you will have to undergo oxygen therapy, medications, or even surgery. However, a sleep apnea treatment therapy might have a huge positive impact on COPD. This is so because continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) therapy incorporates the use of a small bedside machine that pumps air through a tube and into a mask that’s worn over your nose and mouth while you sleep. Hence, it’s quite similar to oxygen therapy many people with COPD use during the day.

CPAP and Sleep

Continuous positive airway pressure therapy is the most common treatment option for sleep apnea. Obstructive sleep apnea, the most common type of this sleeping disorder, occurs when the airway becomes blocked during sleep as a result of muscles relaxing in the back of the throat. It might happen as a result of large tonsils and extra fat around the neck. However, many people who are thin and without tonsils also develop OSA.

The CPAP machines run for a set number of hours at a pressure that is comfortable yet effective at keeping you breathing normally. These machines are quiet and come with comfortable masks. CPAP therapy doesn’t only alleviate sleep apnea symptoms, but it also enhances heart health, reduces stroke risk and improves alertness during the day.

CPAP and COPD

CPAP therapy is also very beneficial in improving COPD symptoms and reducing the risk of mortality in people who have COPD and sleep apnea. Recent research has shown that people who suffer from both sleep apnea and COPD and have used CPAP therapy, tend to live longer. Researchers also found that CPAP was especially beneficial to people with COPD who were already on long-term oxygen therapy.

Patients who experience both COPD and hypercapnia can benefit from CPAP therapy. Hypercapnia is a condition in which the body has an unusually high level of carbon dioxide in the bloodstream. It should be noted that if not properly treated, it can be fatal.

Therefore, CPAP can be useful for COPD even if a patient doesn’t have sleep apnea. It might be difficult to get used to the therapy and the mask at the beginning, but it will get better over time, as well as, your COPS symptoms will. You can expect to have higher oxygen levels, enhanced energy, and uninterrupted sleep.