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CPAP & Diaphragm Pain

Doctors often prescribe CPAP, or continuous positive airway pressure, to treat patients with obstructive sleep apnea. CPAP patients use a machine that aids breathing. Patients may experience diaphragm pain and other side effects with CPAP treatment.

  1. CPAP

    • According to the U.S. National Library of Medicine, a CPAP machine is a small device that sits on a table next to a patient’s bed and supplies air through a mask into a patient’s nostrils to prevent windpipe blockage and breathing disruption during sleep.

    Diaphragm Pain

    • People who use a CPAP machine may experience discomfort or pain in the chest muscle or diaphragm. This chest discomfort usually goes away as a patient uses a CPAP machine regularly.

    Other Side Effects

    • CPAP patients may develop nosebleeds, nasal congestion and a dry or sore mouth. CPAP users may also experience sores on the bridge of the nose, eye irritation and upper respiratory infections.

    Obstructive Sleep Apnea

    • Patients with obstructive sleep apnea experience blocked breathing that awakens them several times throughout the night as they resume normal breathing. The breathing interruptions result in daytime drowsiness.

    CPAP Alternatives

    • People may gain relief from obstructive sleep apnea through other means of treatment besides CPAP, including surgery to improve airflow in the nasal passages, throat or windpipe. Patients may improve their sleep quality with lifestyle changes such as losing weight and avoiding sedatives or alcohol at bedtime.

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