Bilevel positive airway pressure, is similar to CPAP therapy however with BiPAP therapy there are two different pressure settings for the patient.

Patients who are treated with BiPAP therapy have been found to have breathing disorders beyond sleep apnea.

With continuous positive airway pressure or (CPAP) the machine delivers is a constant steady stream of airway pressure during inhilation and expiration.

BiPAP therapy is used to treat more than just sleep apnea. The bipap machine is able to detect how much pressure a patient needs and supply the adequate amount of air pressure on inhalation and exhalation.

The dual settings of the BiPAP machine , allows patients to get more air into, and out of the lungs without the normal muscular activity needed to do so.

Bilevel positive airway pressure therapy is really useful for people who have congestive heart failure and different types of lung disorders, particularly patients who have above normal carbon dioxide.

BiPAP therapy is also used in treating central sleep apnea a sleep disorder characterized by failure of the brain to signal the chest muscles to breathe.

New BiPAP machines are now in the market that have Bi-flex a very useful feature that provides pressure relief to smooth, the transition between the end of IPAP and the beginning of EPAP.

Complications with BiPAP Therapy

Complications that result from using bilevel positive airway pressure, are some have mask discomfort, some patients develop sores and numbness around the mask area.

Also there's been documented cases of patients having bloating from the swallowing of the air as well

As always, it is best to consult your physician to determine the type of pap therapy that is right for you.