Family support for CPAP use may help in
using the equipment. I know that does not matter for me because
without my CPAP equipment use, I would be overtired and difficult to
be around. Other people depend on family support for doing anything
that their doctor may prescribe or recommend. I have seen this first
hand and when I ask friends why they won't take a medication or use
their CPAP machine, I normally receive this answer – 'my spouse
makes fun of using it' or 'my family thinks it is funny and make a
comedy out my using it.”
I now have a widow of a friend that is
regretting the fun she made of her husband using a CPAP machine and
full-face mask. Last week he did not wake up after suffering an
apnea and even CPR could not revive him. She is a nurse and should
have known better than making fun of his CPAP and its use. The
autopsy revealed that he had died from a heart attack. On several
occasions, I had warned him that this could happen and that he needed
to use the equipment every night. I had even introduced him to the
mask liners which had stopped the air leaks and noises from the mask
when the seal was broken.
Yes, he was about 40 pounds overweight
and had been in a sleep lab for his diagnosis, but his wife was not
sympathetic and constantly made fun of the equipment and his use of
it. I attended his funeral, but avoided his wife, but afterward she
wanted to talk to me. I told her there was nothing to talk about and
I was there for him. I left without saying anything.
This study by the American Academy of
Sleep Medicine, is very clear in stating that people with obstructive
sleep apnea (OSA) who are single or have unsupportive family
relationships may be less likely to adhere to continuous positive
airway pressure therapy.
Results show that individuals who were
married or living with a partner had better CPAP adherence after the
first three months of treatment than individuals who were single.
Higher ratings of family relationship quality also were associated
with better adherence. Results of the study were adjusted for
potential confounding factors including age, gender, and body mass
index.
If you are a CPAP user, a spouse of a
CPAP user, or a family member of a CPAP user, do them a favor and
give them your support, please. Read the article in the link above
and help them use the CPAP equipment; they just might live longer and
be around when you need them.
“The American Academy of Sleep
Medicine reports that obstructive sleep apnea is a common sleep
illness affecting up to seven percent of men and five percent of
women. It involves repetitive episodes of complete or partial upper
airway obstruction occurring during sleep despite an ongoing effort
to breathe. The most effective treatment option for OSA is CPAP
therapy, which helps to keep the airway open by providing a stream of
air through a mask that is worn during sleep.”
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