The Man Behind the Mask: Health Benefits of CPAP Treatment

A common misuse of prescriptions is the act of halting treatment when you start to feel better.  Most of us know that this is not effective and your symptoms will come back.  For many new CPAP users, the reaction is the same.  The device seems like an annoyance so when they start waking up feeling refreshed again, they simply stop using it.  This reaction is understandable because for many, it is difficult to see the major health benefits of the CPAP until they go back for a sleep study to see the actual proof. Today, let's review the health benefits of CPAP treatment for sleep apnea to keep you using your CPAP faithfully every night! Simply from the CPAP giving patients a full night's rest, they find themselves more alert, more able to concentrate and more emotionally stable.  Everyone knows that when you don't get enough sleep, you can be irritable and unable to concentrate, but there are many more benefits. A major health benefit of CPAP treatment is weight control.  In many cases, sleep apnea is actually caused by obesity so when they start treating their sleep apnea, their improved sleep patterns tend to cause them to make better eating decisions during the day.  Many eat during the day when they are feeling drowsy so without the drowsy feelings, they are less likely to indulge. One more, although there are many more health benefits to talk about, is hypertension.  Use of CPAP treatment has a direct correlation to improvement of blood pressure.  Sleep apnea causes high blood pressure so the reaction after continued CPAP use is lower blood pressure and much healthier heart. You may have noticed that all of these health benefits are dependant on one another and in some cases, caused the need for a CPAP in the first place.  We'd love to hear from you so if you have thought on your own sleep apnea or treatments, leave a comment below!