If you have severe obstructive sleep apnea, you know there aren’t many treatment options available to you that provide significant relief. CPAP has long been one of the only treatments that successfully help patients with severe sleep apnea breathe better, but for many, it is not worth the cost of wearing a cumbersome mask all night.
Patients who use CPAP report feeling frustrated with:
- The inability to keep the mask in place.
- Unconsciously removing the mask.
- The mask being uncomfortable.
- The mask leaking.
- The mask causing claustrophobia.
TAP-PAP Combination Therapy
For these patients who are non-compliant with CPAP but who have no other good treatment options, a device called TAP-PAP might be the solution. This FDA-approved hybrid of a CPAP mask and an oral appliance combines the benefits of both treatments and minimizes the negatives.
TAP-PAP has no head straps or full face mask. Two nasal pillows rest securely in the nostrils and are connected to the oral device that is placed in the mouth. TAP-PAP uses positive airway pressure like CPAP to keep the airways open, but because it is combined with the oral appliance, a lower air pressure can achieve the same results as the higher pressure CPAP did. The oral appliance also keeps the airways from collapsing by pushing the jaw into a forward closed position.
In research presented by the American Academy of Dental Sleep Medicine, participants who used TAP-PAP had an average AHI (the number of times a person stops breathing per hour) of 2.6, compared to 6.6 without treatment and 4.4 with CPAP. Participants also reported that they were significantly less sleepy during the day with TAP-PAP than with CPAP.
TAP-PAP vs. CPAP
Because of its design and function, patients enjoy many benefits of TAP-PAP over CPAP. Because TAP-PAP requires no head-straps, patients find it more comfortable and wear it for longer periods of time than CPAP. Because of better treatment adherence, TAP-PAP:
- Improves sleep quality
- Improves daytime alertness
- Improves mood
TAP-PAP can provide an excellent alternative to CPAP for people who cannot handle the high air pressures and frustrating mask and is effective for patients who cannot be helped by oral appliance alone. Learn more about TAP-PAP and other snoring devices and alternative treatment options by calling 1-847-533-8313 today.
