CPAP, or continuous positive airway pressure, is a treatment that uses mild air pressure to keep the airways open. CPAP typically is used by people who have breathing problems, such as sleep apnea, sleep disorders, congestive heart failure, severe respiratory distress, and to some extent, asthma.
BiPAP (also referred to as BPAP) stands for Bilevel positive airway pressure, and is very similar in function and design to a CPAP machine (continuous positive airway pressure). Similar to a CPAP machine, A BiPAP machine is a non-invasive form of therapy for patients suffering from sleep apnea.
Both machine types deliver pressurized air through a mask to the patient's airways. The air pressure keeps the throat muscles from collapsing and reducing obstructions by acting as a splint. Both CPAP and BiPAP machines allow patients to breathe easily and regularly throughout the night.
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CPAP machines are the most commonly used devices for obstructive sleep apnea. CPAP machine deliver a steady, continuous stream of air pressure to the upper airways. In CPAP devices some patients find difficult to exhale against the constant singular pressure. Exhaling against the incoming air can feel difficult for patients with higher pressure strengths, as if they're having to force their breathing out.
Bi-PAP systems, on the other hand, works in conjugation with the respiratory process that is high pressure on inhalation and low pressure on exhalation. BiPAP system comes with two pressure settings the prescribed pressure for inhalation (ipap), and a lower pressure for exhalation (epap). These dual settings allow the user to get more air in and out of their lungs. BiPAPs System includes a breath timing feature that measures the number of breaths per minute a person should be taking. If the time between breaths exceeds the set limit, the machine can force the person to breathe by temporarily increasing the air pressure.
CPAP systems are small and pressurized breathing devices. BiPAP is a preferred option for people with COPD.
Airways are held open through continuous pressure in CPAP, whether the individual is breathing in or out. This pressure stops the upper airways from collapsing, which makes breathing easier and helps to prevent oxygen levels from falling while the person is asleep.
The main difference is that, while CPAP helps a person inhale by using one kind of pressure, BiPAP helps a person both inhale and exhale by using two different pressures. This means that exhaling is easier with BiPAP machines.
Both BiPAP and CPAP machines can also be used to treat heart failure, which is a possible complication of COPD. This therapy lowers the amount of blood that is returned to the heart, meaning that it is under less strain.
