About Sleep Medicine
Proper OSA treatment is paramount to the patient's daily life. It is much more than the personal inconvenience caused by sleeping disturbances and disorders. OSA can put your life in danger, affect your social life and deteriorate your financial situation. For example, the US National Transportation Safety Board has discovered that the leading causes of fatal heavy truck crashes are fatigue related problems (fatigue - 31%, alcohol and other drug use - 29%). Sleep deprivation has been a significant factor in dramatic accidents, such as the Exxon Valdez oil spill, the nuclear incidents at Chernobyl and Three Mile Island and the explosion of the space shuttle Challenger.

Sleep Medicine - Waking Up to Hope
Sleep medicine - a medical specialty or subspecialty devoted to the diagnosis and treatment of sleep disturbances and disorders, has developed tremendously over the past years. Since the middle of the 20th century research has provided extensive knowledge and answered many questions about sleep-wake functioning. The rapidly evolving field has become a recognized medical subspecialty in many countries including the US.

Treating OSA
Positive Airway Pressure (PAP) therapy is the treatment of choice for obstructive sleep apnea. PAP therapy provides a gentle flow of air pressure through your nose using a mask. The air pressure prevents airway collapse, allowing you to breathe freely while you sleep. PAP therapy is noninvasive and can alleviate the symptoms of OSA when properly prescribed by a sleep specialist.

Continuous Positive Airway Pressure (CPAP) is the most commonly used PAP therapy. CPAP provides a continuous stream of air pressure to keep the airway open. Some Respironics CPAP systems feature C-Flex™, which slightly lowers the pressure as the user begins to exhale for added comfort. To learn more about medical equipment used to deliver PAP therapy click here

There are a number of alternative treatments to CPAP therapy:

	Bi-level PAP (with a BiPAP™ machine) may be prescribed for severe cases of OSA
	Auto-PAP (auto-adjusting CPAP™ or BiPAP™ ) adjusts the pressure as you sleep
	according to your needs
	Surgery
	Body position modification
	Oral appliances

PAP treatment can dramatically improve the life of someone diagnosed with sleep apnea. The optimal therapy is achieved if the patient wears the system every night during sleep for at least four hours. The patient will experience the following health improvements:

	Increased energy level and attentiveness during the day
	Fewer morning headaches
	Reduced irritability
	Improved memory
	Less waking during the night to go to the bathroom
	Increased ability to exercise
	Increased effectiveness at home or at work
	Improved overall quality of life

To enjoy the treatment's benefits, OSA patients will have to use the machine every night during sleep. Patients who fail to follow the instructions will return to their previous condition, suffering of symptoms like chronic snoring, sleep apnea, and daytime tiredness.