A person who suffers from obstructive sleep apnea has moments when they can’t breathe as they sleep. The situation is brought about by the muscles in the airway becoming overly relaxed, constricting the space through which air can enter and exit the person’s lungs.
The result is that a sleeper tends to wake up over and over again, and their sleep pattern is continually interrupted. And if that wasn’t enough, sleep apnea is typically accompanied by loud snoring, which can seriously impinge on on the ability of others to sleep as well.
Technology has so far advanced to the point where all this can be treated with a CPAP machine, like the Fisher Paykel hc254. Quite simply, CPAP stands for “Continual Positive Air Pressure”. And the basic setup involves a face mask connected to an electronic device by a hose. During operation, a stream of air pressure feeds into the face mask so that the breathing channel is kept sufficiently open.
Nevertheless, this is often not enough by itself, and those with sleep apnea are well-advised to find a cpap machine that can adjust to changing sleeping patterns during a typical night’s sleep.
As a case in point, it’s normal to undulate through periods of light and deep sleep. And it’s been discovered that during the lighter stages, a sleep apnea sufferer often finds it difficult to endure the same level of air pressure that’s needed during deeper sleep.
It’s with this in mind that the hc254 Fisher Paykel cpap has been fitted with SensAwake functionality. This actively measures the breathing patterns of the patient throughout the night, notices when he or she is waking up, and then quickly reduces the level of air pressure being delivered. The key advantage here is that the sleeper experiences far less discomfort, gets back to sleep more easily, and their quality of sleep is improved dramatically.
Not only that but the Fisher Paykel hc254 also lowers the air pressure for every exhalation too, so the wearer’s breathing is far less strained. As it happens, you’ll find this feature built into all cpap machines in Fisher Paykel’s SleepStyle 200 range. The key emphasis is on giving the user a comfortable and effortless night’s sleep, and the hc254 is truly one of the most user-friendly cpap systems available.