It can be difficult to integrate anything new into your sleeping routine. This is especially true for people with sleep apnea as they begin CPAP therapy. Like any prescribed regimen, CPAP will be useless to people if they are not compliant. There are a variety of reasons why patients struggle with compliance. But before we go over those reasons, we should define CPAP compliance. It is using the machine for 4 hours a night, or 70% of the sleeping time a week.

This is the secret to success, and if the minimum is not met, it cannot work for you. This is why it is so important to resolve the problems you are experiencing with treatment. These are the top reasons why people struggle with compliance and how to resolve the issues:

Skin Irritation

While not common, some people may experience skin irritation around the nose where the mask sits. This could be a sensitivity to the material the mask is made of or a poor-fitting mask. If you are allergic to your mask, there are a variety of mask materials that you can try. If the mask is the wrong size, you may need to try a different style. Before buying a new mask, we recommend adjusting the headgear. If it is too tight, it could also irritate the skin.

Claustrophobia

This may be a case of claustrophobia or even anxiety. You may need to try different masks to see if you can find one that makes you feel more comfortable. A nasal pillow may also help as it puts some distance between your face and the mask.

Noise

CPAP machines are much quieter than they used to be. However, if you are used to complete silence when going to sleep, it is understandable that the machine may still keep you from falling asleep. Some patients have success with investing in a white noise machine to drown out the sound or even ear plugs until you can acclimate to the change.

Air in the Stomach

This uncomfortable sensation is what’s known as aerophagia. Experiencing excess air in the stomach is a common, but solvable problem. It is easily resolved by visiting your CPAP provider to determine the root cause. It could be too much pressure, not enough pressure or problems exhaling. Your provider will be able to determine the issue and give a solution to lessen or eliminate the excess air on yours or a different machine.

Dry Nose and Mouth

This is a symptom that impacts everyone who has ever used a CPAP machine. When you have forced air entering your system, it can cause dryness, bleeding and congestion. Having a machine that comes with a CPAP humidifier is incredibly important to staying compliant. You can choose from a heated or cooling humidifier as a comfort option on the machine that you choose.

Overall, we want to encourage you to not give up on staying compliant. We hope that we have shown that with every issue, there is a solution. When you are in doubt about staying consistent with therapy, remember how CPAP will help increase your overall health and wellbeing. If you need help staying CPAP compliant, make anappointmentwith us today!

5 Reasons People Can’t Stay CPAP Compliant