People with certain medical conditions have difficulty breathing. Luckily, machines like a BiPAP machine help you breathe better. A Bilevel Positive Airway Pressure machine, or BiPAP, a term you must have heard from your doctor, is a device that helps to improve breathing.
What is a BiPAP and how does it work?
BiPAP is a form of non-invasive ventilation (NIV) therapy to help people breathe. BiPAP devices are both used in hospitals and also at home for patients in need. The BiPAP devices used at home are compact and portable. The machine consists of a tube attached to a mask placed over the nose and mouth. BiPAP machines work by using pressure to push air into the lungs of the person through a mask. Based on the setting, this process opens up their lungs, improving oxygen levels in the blood and reducing carbon dioxide.
These machines are referred to as bilevel due to their dual settings for air pressure:
- When the person breathes in, BiPAP devices provide more air pressure. This process is also known as inspiratory positive airway pressure (IPAP).
- When the person breathes out, the device reduces the air pressure. This process is called expiratory positive airway pressure. (EPAP).
Some BiPAP devices come with a backup timer designed to guarantee a certain number of breaths per minute.
Who needs BiPAP Machines?
BiPAP machines are helpful if you have trouble breathing. Here are some of the medical problems that can be treated with BiPAP devices:
- Chronic obstructive pulmonary disorder (COPD)
- Pneumonia
- Asthma flare-up
- Obstructive Sleep apnea
- Obesity hypoventilation syndrome
- Poor breathing after an operation
- Neurological disease with breathing issues
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