BiPAP is a form of ventilator that delivers air through a mask to help you breathe. It is a non-invasive treatment most associated with treating sleep apnea but can be used with other health conditions that cause breathing difficulties.
How long someone can live on a BiPAP machine and when to stop BiPAP treatment will depend on the condition it is being used to treat. You may require BiPAP all the time, some of the time, or in the case of treating obstructive sleep apnea, while you sleep.
How Does BiPAP Work?
BiPAP stands for bi-level positive airway pressure. A BiPAP machine delivers pressurized air through a tube connected to a mask worn over the nose, mouth, or both to help keep the airways clear and ease your breathing.
BiPAP uses two pressure settings, one for inhalation and one for exhalation. The air delivered during inhalation will be higher and set to a level to allow a free flow of oxygen into the lungs. The pressure level drops on exhalation to make breathing easier and more comfortable.
BiPAP can also be used as non-invasive ventilation and requires the use of a backup rate to ensure that a patient's breathing remains at a number of breaths per minute that is considered normal. These devices are called ST (Spontaneous/Timed) devices and are used to treat ALS, central sleep apnea and other conditions requiring a backup rate. BiPAP can be used in hospitals, palliative care units, hospices, and at home to ease breathing difficulties. The health condition being treated will determine how long someone can live on a BiPAP machine.
Using BiPAP to Treat Sleep Apnea
Obstructive sleep apnea is a disorder that causes breathing pauses when the airways become fully or partially blocked during sleep. This happens when the muscles in the throat relax as you sleep and collapse into the airways.
CPAP is often the first positive airway pressure (PAP) device used to treat sleep apnea. However, not everyone can tolerate the constant air pressure of CPAP. In this case, you may be recommended BiPAP as the lower pressure setting on exhalation can be more comfortable to tolerate.
A PAP device like BiPAP helps reduce the symptoms of sleep apnea, if not eliminate them. This sees an improvement in the quality of your sleep and reduces the risk of health issues linked to sleep apnea including heart disease, stroke, and diabetes.
If obesity is a contributing risk factor for your sleep apnea, BiPAP may be used alongside lifestyle changes aimed at weight loss. However, while obstructive sleep apnea can be treated to significantly improve the quality of your life, there is no cure.
Therefore, when considering how long someone can live on a BiPAP machine, in the case of obstructive sleep apnea it would require nightly use indefinitely. Extended periods without using BiPAP could see the return of your sleep apnea symptoms.
You should always work with your healthcare provider to ensure your sleep apnea treatment plan remains effective. This includes finding the right device and mask.
Benefits of BiPAP for Other Health Conditions
A patient may be recommended BiPAP for use at home as well as in a hospital to treat health conditions that make it difficult to breathe.
BiPAP is a non-invasive alternative to intubation for easing breathing difficulties and may be used in hospitals for less severe cases where intubation is not required. One example is a patient experiencing a flare-up in their chronic obstructive pulmonary disorder (COPD) symptoms.
COPD results from damage to the lungs and makes breathing increasingly difficult. A flare-up can cause a worsening of symptoms including breathlessness. BiPAP can be used as an emergency treatment to ease a patient's breathing and take some of the pressure off the lungs while ensuring an improved flow of oxygen.
As COPD symptoms can worsen at night, you may be recommended to use a BiPAP machine when sleeping to help maintain a steady flow of oxygen to the lungs.
Therefore, similar to sleep apnea, how long someone can live on a BiPAP machine depends on the specific health condition. If your COPD worsens during sleep, you may need to use BiPAP each night to prevent any breathing difficulties arising overnight.
As well as COPD, other health issues where BiPAP may be considered include:
- Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS): a condition affecting the brain, resulting in a worsening of voluntary muscle control
- Muscular dystrophy: a condition that causes progressive muscle weakness
- Obesity hyperventilation syndrome: a breathing disorder resulting in high carbon dioxide levels in the blood and low oxygen levels
- Central sleep apnea: less common than obstructive sleep apnea, a disorder resulting in breathing pauses caused when the muscles that control breathing do not receive the proper signals from the brain
- Recently, BiPAP machines have been used to treat people with COVID-19 experiencing moderate breathing difficulties.
Since all these health conditions can result in breathing difficulties, BiPAP is used in each case to ensure oxygen continues to flow to the lungs. When to stop BiPAP and the question of how long someone can live on a BiPAP machine depends on the health condition they are using it for, and the severity of it.
Some patients may need to stay on BiPAP longer if they need more assistance with their breathing. BiPAP may be used in hospitals after a patient is taken off intubation to ensure continued normal breathing.
BiPAP Use in End-of-Life Care
A ventilator device like BiPAP could be used to assist breathing and provide a flow of oxygen during end-of-life care. This could be at a hospital, a palliative care unit, or at home, supervised by a healthcare professional.
As a patient nears the end of life, a decision will need to be made when to stop BiPAP, as removal of BiPAP can lead to death within hours. Discussing this decision in advance may help provide a feeling of control in such an extremely difficult situation.
In conclusion, it is evident that a BiPAP machine has many uses in addition to sleep apnea. How long someone can live on a BiPAP machine will depend on the health condition it is being used for. While some people will require a BiPAP machine only when they sleep, others may need BiPAP some of the time or even all the time in more severe instances.