Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is a very common sleep disorder that affects more than 936 million people across the world. In itself, this health condition is not life-threatening. However, when the case worsens and care isn’t put in place to address it, it can lead to complicated cases that can eventually threaten the sufferer’s life. That said, two of the few top treatment options for OSA worth trying today are CPAP and ASV.
- What exactly are CPAP and ASV therapies for obstructive sleep apnea?
- CPAP vs ASV: which is the better therapy for your sleep disorder?
You’ll find everything you need to know about these OSA-related questions as you keep reading this blog. In addition, you’ll also find a few reasons why visiting iSleepBetter today for your sleep apnea diagnosis and treatment is worth it.
What exactly are CPAP and ASV therapies for obstructive sleep apnea?
Adaptive Servo-Ventilation (ASV)
If you’re familiar with how BiPAP therapy works, then you somehow have an understanding of adaptive servo-ventilation. ASV is an advanced form of BiPAP therapy for treating both central sleep apnea and OSA.
Today, ASV works by automatically adjusting the pressure settings of the machine, depending on the sufferer’s breathing needs while sleeping. ASV offers the following functions:
- First, this type of therapy focuses on pressure monitoring. It works by monitoring your breathing patterns continuously and then providing the much-needed air pressure for stabilized breathing.
- ASV doesn’t come with pre-set pressure levels. Instead, it detects the differences in your breathing patterns and then automatically adjusts the pressure levels to suit your needs.
- ASV can decrease or increase the air pressure depending on your breathing needs. These pressure adjustments ensure that sufferers get adequate treatment without little to no pressure discomfort.
Continuous Positive Airway Pressure (CPAP)
Like ASV, CPAP is a very common treatment option for various sleep disorders, including obstructive sleep apnea. This treatment option works by providing you with air pressure, which is high enough to keep the airway open. The air pressure is delivered to the airway through a mask that seals with either your nose or mouth. With the pressurized air, you’ll be able to breathe less discomfort while sleeping.
CPAP vs ASV: which is better for you?
CPAP and ASV have a couple of things in common—they both noninvasively treat sleep apnea and a few other sleep disorders by delivering a continuous flow of air pressure to the sufferer’s airways. This continuous supply of pressurized air ensures the airways stay open for stabilized breathing.
Both CPAP and ASV are effective for treating OSA today. But you need to understand that their effectiveness can vary from person to person. That said, if you’ve been using CPAP in the past but haven’t been getting the desired results, now may be a good time to try ASV therapy, and vice versa.
Furthermore, ASV machines are a lot easier to use because they automatically adjust air pressure settings based on your breathing patterns during sleep.
Using ASV is also recommended for complex sleep apnea and central sleep apnea. This is so because they are more effective than CPAP machines for relieving symptoms of complex OSA.
Do you need expert guides on how to choose the right ASV machine? Are you interested in buying a good CPAP therapy for the first time? If yes, then you can speak with experts at iSleepBetter today for proper guidance.
