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Changing Pressure on a CPAP

A continuous positive airflow pressure, or CPAP, machine is a piece of medical therapy equipment that is closely monitored by your doctor and by a certified CPAP technician at the medical supply company. The temptation to change the air pressure on your CPAP may be great if you feel you are still not getting quality sleep, but there are things you should consider before you press that pressure button on the CPAP machine.

  1. Pressure Information

    • Your particular CPAP machine is set to a pressure that is designated by your doctor and your CPAP technician after analyzing the results of your sleep study. In most cases the pressure your doctor recommends is based on their experience with patients using a CPAP and having sleep study results similar to yours, but no initial pressure setting is perfect. If you find that you are not getting quality sleep after a week or two of using the CPAP, contact your doctor and let her know what is going on. She may give you instructions on changing your pressure yourself, or she may ask you to bring the machine in to a technician to be adjusted. Some of the side-effects of incorrect air pressure are headaches, chest pains and dizziness first thing in the morning. But other side-effects such as dry eyes and skin rashes may be the result of something other than air pressure. Discuss your CPAP problems with your doctor before making any changes.

    Ramp-Up

    • Rather than trying to adjust the pressure on your CPAP machine, you may want to try the pressure ramp-up feature first. Pressure ramp-up is a standard feature on most CPAP machines that starts the air pressure out at a low level and then slowly builds up to the pressure indicated by your physician. The ramp-up feature is a good way to get your body used to the breathing assistance offered by the CPAP machine. If you are feeling chest pains in the morning, then using the ramp-up feature may help to eliminate those pains.

    Changing the Pressure

    • According to CPAP-Supply.com in order to change the pressure on your CPAP machine you will need to enter the clinician's mode for programming the machine. In some cases, the CPAP technician will show you how to enter this mode when you are being fitted for your machine. If you do not know how to enter the clinician's mode for your CPAP machine and you have instructions from your doctor to change your pressure, then contact the medical supply company you got your CPAP from and speak to a certified technician.

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