Swallowing air while using CPAP: Causes and solutions
Continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) machine ensures constant airflow into the respiratory system. The device helps sleep apnea patients breathe without putting in the extra effort. It does so by delivering a continuous stream of air into the airway to prevent it from collapsing. Because of this, sleep apnea patients can catch up on a good night’s rest as they do not wake up gasping for oxygen in the middle of the night.
However, this does not mean that using a CPAP device is easy and has no side effects. Trying CPAP can cause several complications, and one of these is aerophagia. For those who want to learn more about this side-effect and how to correct it, more info is provided in the next section. Have a look!
What is aerophagia?
For those who are not aware, aerophagia refers to excessive swallowing of the air. In this condition, the air enters the gastrointestinal tract, including the intestines and stomach. Because of this, significant discomfort is caused in the bowels and belly. Those suffering from this problem have symptoms like stomachache, burping, flatulence, belly bloating, acid reflux, and an uncomfortable full feeling. Besides, aerophagia is a quite common condition and affects even those who do not use CPAP.
What causes one to swallow air while using CPAP?
Some reasons that may lead to aerophagia when using CPAP are:
- Some patients set the pressure too high or higher than needed when using CPAP. As a result, excessive air is ingested. Since this air doesn’t have anywhere else to go, it enters your oesophagus and belly.
- If the set pressure of the CPAP machine is too low, it might be inadequate to treat the episodes. Due to this, a person might try to get more air into his lungs by breathing deeply. It might make you gulp more air which may get forced into the oesophagus.
- Some mouth-breathers wear traditional CPAP masks. When they inhale air from the mouth while sleeping, the machine fails to deliver it to the lungs, and the oxygen escapes through the mouth. In this case, since the apnea episodes are not getting corrected, the patient experiences a choking sensation and gulps air rapidly, forcing it into the oesophagus because of unconscious panic.
- Sleep apnea patients may have congestion from allergies, colds, or flu. Because of a stuffy nose, the person may fail to get the right CPAP pressure required for breathing effortlessly. It might make him gulp air by mouth. This air may go to the oesophagus.
Solutions for treating aerophagia
For treating this condition, sleep apnea patients are recommended to check the pressure settings. Also, they need to ensure that they are using the right-sized mask to treat this problem.
So, these are a few reasons why using a CPAP machine leads to aerophagia problems.