What is a bipap machine

Like all the other ventilator machines which are known to use pressure for pushing air into the lungs of a person, further, it clearly depends upon the settings of the machine, the machine will help to open up the lungs, improve the level of oxygen in the blood and other various vital roles. 

When you are suffering from any kind of breathing difficulty you can feel that your quality of life has been impacted and fortunately there are a lot of machines available that can help you to breathe in a much better way. You must have heard about machines like CPAP and APAP machines but you should know that there is a bilevel positive airway pressure or BIPAP machine available which goes by the BiPAP term for trade purposes. The term BiPAP is used to recognize the type of device. 

What is a BiPAP machine and what is the working mechanism of this machine?

A BiPAP is considered to be a machine which is used in the form of a non-invasive ventilation (NIV) therapy for the facilitation of breathing. You can get access to these BiPAP machines at a hospital and the best part of these machines is that they are available for people to use at their home if they want to. The BiPAP machines that are available to use at your homes are said to be more compact and are almost equal to the size of a toaster, the machine is known to contain a tube that is to be connected to the mask that is to be worn over your nose and the mouth. 

It is very similar to other ventilators, as the BiPAP machines are known to use pressure for pushing the air into the lungs of a person and this pushing of the air or any other function of the machine totally depends upon the settings which will wither open up the lungs, improve or increase the amount of oxygen in the blood or decreasing the amount of carbon dioxide present in the blood of a person.

This machine is known as a bilevel because the machine is known to feature or have to different air pressure settings which are given below: 

• When you start to breathe out, the BiPAP machine itself starts to reduce the air pressure and this is known as the expiratory positive airway pressure (EPAP)
• When you start to breathe in, the BiPAP machine is found to be delivering or creating more air pressure and this is known as the inspiratory positive airway pressure (IPAP)

Some of the more advanced BiPAP machines are said to have a timer that is said to be programmed for maintaining an exact number of breaths per minute for a person.

What is the purpose of the BiPAP machine?

The purpose of this BiPAP machine can be used at homes for the treatment of certain medical conditions which are known to make a person's ability to breathe very difficult. Some of the condition in which this BiPAP machine can prove to be helpful are mentioned below: 

• Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS)
• Chronic obstructive pulmonary disorder (COPD)
• Central sleep apnea
• Obesity hypoventilation syndrome (OHS)
• Obstructive sleep apnea

In hospitals, this BiPAP machine can be used and prove to be helpful in the treatment of certain breathing emergency conditions. As this machine is said to be non invasive, these machines are often preferred to use for the treatment of intubation. 

Doctors usually use this machine in cases where the case is not much severe and do not require intubation, for instance, this BiPAP machine might prove to be helpful in the treatment of condition like respiratory failure which can be caused because of conditions like a COPD flare up, pneumonia or a pulmonary edema. This BiPAP machine is also used for ensuring proper breathing after a person has been taken off of the intubation.

These BiPAP ventilators are said to be very effective for the treatment of breathing difficulties that are of moderate severity and are caused by the covid-19. You can expect that their usage is going to increase as the best practices of this machine are known to keep on evolving.

What to expect while you are using this BiPAP machine?

When you are asked to use this BiPAP machine, your respiratory specialist will be suggesting and setting up the machine for you to use, the machine is usually required to be calibrated and the settings of the machine are said to be adjusted according to the prescribed treatment for your own welfare. Your healthcare provider will be suggesting you a lot of tips and instruct you very well on how to use this machine in the right way and what to expect from the BiPAP machine that you are going to use at your home.

Depending upon the reason for which this BiPAP machine is used, you may be recommended to use this machine all the time, some of the time or only at times when you are going to sleep. It is very important for you to follow all the instructions that are given to you and you should be using this machine as it is suggested to you by your healthcare provider or your doctor.

There are so many parts present in this BiPAP machine which is known to include a tabletop unit along with a motor, tubing and a mask. You need to be familiar with all the parts of the machine thoroughly and how they are to be fit together and the working of the parts and the machine. You will get clear instructions that oftenly you will have to clean the mask and the tube. When you are using this machine for the first time, you are going to feel very uncomfortable but as the time progresses, you will start to notice that you are getting comfortable and used to wearing the mask and the air flowing from the machine. If you are unable to get used to the mask or face any other problem, you should be speaking to your doctor regarding the problem and he will then look into the settings and will do certain adjustments or if there is any kind of other option available that may do wonders for you and improve your condition.

This BiPAP machine is not noisy or loud but you may take some time to adjust or get used to the sound of the machine, you may also consider wearing earplugs if the machine is disturbing or disrupting your sleep.

Side effects of BiPAP machines: 

This BiPAP machine is said to be very safe and known to pose very low risk of any kind of side effects and majority of the side effects are said to be mild. The side effects may include the following: 

• Skin irritation because of the mask
• Bloating
• Sinus pressure
• General discomfort
• Runny nose
• Mouth dryness
• Nasal dryness

Conclusion: 

The BiPAP machine is a kind of ventilator that is useful in the treatment of various kinds of chronic conditions that are known to be affecting the ability of breathing of a person. This BiPAP machine is said to be very similar to a CPAP machine but it is said to be very different from a CPAP machine as a CPAP machine is known to deliver a continuous level of air pressure whereas this BiPAP machine is known to be delivering two different levels of air pressure. 

BiPAP machines are usually suggested to be used by those people who are suffering from problems like sleep apnea, COPD, obesity hypoventilation syndrome and various other neurological conditions that are known to affect the ability of breathing like breathing.