While CPAP (continuous positive airway pressure) is considered the golden standard for slumber apnea treatment, it has a very high failure rate. The trouble is that CPAP is non a very pleasant treatment. It's uncomfortable and inconvenient for many people. It tin can exist hard to maintain and hard to sleep with.

As a event, many people requite up CPAP treatment. Doctors and medical care providers draw them as "CPAP dropouts," as if the trouble is with the people and not with the treatment. Bold that this is where the problem is, doctors, nurses, and others urge CPAP dropouts to give the treatment another try.

However, there are many people for whom it's just not worth it to try CPAP again. If CPAP isn't a good fit for you, you however demand slumber apnea treatment, but you should find a CPAP alternative.

man sleeping with large CPAP mask on

How Many CPAP Dropouts Are There?

But how many people give up on CPAP treatment? It'south hard to know, in part because of the intellectual dishonesty sometimes employed past CPAP supporters.

Permit's consider a contempo study about the x-twelvemonth compliance rates of CPAP users. This written report reports that only 56/181 patients (30.9%) dropped out of CPAP treatment in 10 years. That seems pretty good, and implies that nearly 70% of patients continued using their CPAP for 10 years. However, in the very next sentence, we find that, in actuality, but 54 (29.8%) patients actually kept using their CPAP for 10 years. In other words, the compliance rate for CPAP over ten years, as they observed information technology was 49%–less than half. Other studies are less optimistic. This long-term review shows that CPAP compliance might be as depression as 34%, or one in three.

Looking at these studies, it's likely that, for every 6 people prescribed CPAP, there are iii or iv dropouts.

CPAP Failed You lot

The use of the term CPAP dropout implies that these are people who failed. They gave up on a treatment that was working. Notwithstanding, the sheer numbers of people who only can't adapt to CPAP shows that it is, in large office, the treatment that fails, non the people.

When CPAP works, it works keen, but information technology is not for everyone–or even nigh people. CPAP cannot be our just population-wide sleep apnea treatment. When we try to steer CPAP dropouts dorsum to handling, we shouldn't be steering them dorsum to CPAP, only to CPAP alternatives.

When Trying CPAP Again Isn't Worth Information technology

If yous take sleep apnea, y'all need to get it treated. Sleep apnea is dangerous and failure to treat it puts you at serious risk for death in the most future from a number of causes, including eye assail, cancer, stroke, dementia, and car accidents.

Even so, that doesn't mean your treatment has to be CPAP. If you lot already have a CPAP machine and want to give it a endeavor again, go ahead. On the other hand, yous might not want to try CPAP over again if:

  • You really tried information technology
  • Your CPAP doesn't work
  • You demand to supersede CPAP equipment
  • You have moderate sleep apnea

Already Tried CPAP

Not everyone gives CPAP a fair try. Some quit earlier they start or after simply a couple weeks. If you gave CPAP a fair try the first time, though, you shouldn't feel obligated to give it a 2nd try. Giving CPAP a fair endeavour means trying it for more than 2 months, getting multiple titrations, trying different masks, using CPAP variants like BiPAP, and/or trying CPAP options like heaters and humidifiers. If y'all've gone through that process once, there's no need for you to do it once more.

Broken or Worn CPAP

We don't know how long yous've carried effectually your former CPAP car, only if it'southward so old, worn, or damaged that it doesn't piece of work anymore, maybe you shouldn't just buy a new CPAP machine. Instead, it might be fourth dimension for a different treatment for your sleep apnea.

Expired CPAP Equipment

The CPAP automobile is only one part of the expense in getting CPAP handling. You as well have to pay for hoses, masks, humidifiers, and more than. These are designed to be replaceable over time as the plastic degrades and becomes inflexible. Replacing all this equipment can be virtually as expensive as replacing the CPAP machine. Again, peradventure it's time to consider an alternative to CPAP handling, rather than endeavor the treatment that failed you in one case earlier.

Moderate Sleep Apnea

The truth is that at that place's no reason for anyone with moderate sleep apnea to feel obligated to endeavour CPAP. Not the first time, and not once again. That's because CPAP culling oral apparatus therapy works just as well to treat moderate slumber apnea as CPAP. Plus, it's more comfortable and has better compliance rates.

Go a CPAP Alternative in River Border, NJ

If you've tried CPAP and found it wasn't for  you, or if yous don't similar the thought of trying a handling that's merely 50% likely to work for you, the River Edge Dental Middle for TMJ, Sleep Apnea, & Reconstructive Dentistry can help. Sleep dentist Dr. Marlen Martirossian has extensive training in treating slumber apnea with oral appliances. He has helped hundreds of people from New Bailiwick of jersey and New York get salubrious, deep, restorative sleep every nighttime.

Delight call  201-343-4044, asking a video consultation, or use our online class to make an appointment at our role in River Border, NJ.