Gas Masks: An Overview
Let us quickly go through what sleep apnea is all about and why CPAP nasal pillows can be useful in helping the patients. While sleeping, the human airway can often collapse and shrink in size for some people. This causes the air entering the airway to be blocked, which then creates difficulty in breathing. The patient then wakes up in the middle of the sleep because waking up helps the airway to be restored to its original state. This obviously causes disturbances in sleep and other associated problems like snoring and obviously tertiary issues like causing disturbance to the bed partner etc. This is where CPAP nasal mask or nasal pillows come in.
The masks are attached to a tube, which can often be rotatable all 360 degrees, along with other flexible features to facilitate uninterrupted airflow despite movements in bed. This tube is connected to a device like an oxygen concentrator or airflow generator that will provide a continuous supply of air. However, the main purpose of this airflow is to create some pressure on the airway so that it once again widens and allows air to pass into the lungs unobstructed.
So CPAP nasal mask have a three way advantage – they do not disturb the sleep of the patient, that of his/her bed partner by directing the exhaled air silently away from that person and also reduce the chances of snoring. The nasal pillows are small cushioned and flexible discs that are connected to the tubing of the entire device so as to help the patient to breathe comfortably.