The most widely used current therapeutic intervention for individuals who suffer from Sleep Disordered Breathing (SDB) conditions such as Obstructive Sleep Apnoea (OSA) is positive airway pressure (PAP) therapy, whereby a breathing machine pumps a controlled stream of air through a mask worn over the nose, mouth, or both. The air pressure is adjusted so that it is just enough to prevent the airways in the throat from collapsing during sleep, acting as a “splint” eliminating airway collapse and allowing the individual to breathe normally. This permits uninterrupted and restorative sleep. There are several kinds of positive airway pressure (PAP) devices: Continuous Positive Airway Pressure (CPAP), Auto-titrating Positive Airway Pressure (APAP) and Bilevel Positive Airway Pressure (BiPAP).

CPAP or Continuous Positive Airway Pressure , is a small machine in which a controlled air compressor generates a flow of air at a constant pressure. The pressure setting is prescribed by the patient's physician based on an overnight study or titration.

BiPAP or Bilevel Positive Airway Pressure , uses an electronic circuit to monitor the patient's breathing, and provides two different pressures, a higher one during inspiration and a lower pressure during expiration. BiPAP sometimes used with patients who have a higher than average CPAP pressure or who find breathing out against an increased pressure to be uncomfortable or disruptive to their sleep.

APAP or Auto-titrating Positive Airway Pressure , is the most advanced form of PAP therapy. An APAP machine incorporates pressure and vibration sensors which continuously monitors the patient's breathing performance. It adjusts pressure continuously, increasing it when the user is attempting to breathe but cannot, and decreasing it when the pressure is higher than necessary.

PAP therapy is the safest and most effective treatment available for Obstructive Sleep Apnea, and although the thought of wearing a face mask at night makes some individuals hesitant to try treatment, individuals find that any initial difficulty adapting to the therapy is quickly forgotten as significant improvement in the resulting deeper sleep, and a reversal in the effects of the disorder as a result of being compliant to treatment.

Benefits of PAP therapy

Successful PAP therapy and compliance to treatment, will result in sleeping better and improved quality-of-life throughout waking hours, and can also help lowering blood pressure and treating the symptoms associated with obstructive sleep apnea (OSA). Successful positive airway pressure (PAP) users report feeling improvements in

• energy and motivation 
• concentration 
• mood 
• alertness while driving 
• sexual drive and performance 
• quality of life and a feeling of well-being

However, a failure to use PAP therapy will cause symptoms to return and may increase your risk for conditions linked to untreated SDB, including

• hypertension (high blood pressure) 
• stroke 
• congestive heart failure.