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Using CPAP for COPD

Sleep apnea is a condition that causes people to stop breathing and gasp for air while they’re sleeping. The best option for treating it, according to the National Heart, Blood and Lung Institute, is continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) therapy. But CPAP can also be beneficial to those suffering from chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.

According to a study in the Journal of Clinical Sleep Medicine, CPAP therapy can lower the risk of mortality for those suffering from both COPD and sleep apnea. Researchers found that people with both conditions who used CPAP for two hours a night lived longer than those who used it less. CPAP was especially helpful to COPD sufferers who are already on long-term oxygen therapy.

COPD sufferers who don’t have sleep apnea can also find relief through CPAP because COPD can reduce blood flow to the brain when sufferers are laying on their back while they sleep.

Read the full story on how CPAP can help those suffering from COPD.