While there are four prevalent treatment options for patients, CPAP therapy is considered by the industry to be the "Gold Standard" of care.

Merit patients can be setup on CPAP Therapy within 24 hours after Merit receives a physician order. CPAP setups can be performed at the patient's home, workplace or at any of the Merit offices or sleep centers - whatever is most convenient to our patients.

Starting Therapy for Obstructive Sleep Apnea
If you've just started using CPAP or bi-level therapy, you've taken an important step toward improving your health. Consistent therapy is the best way to improve your quality of life and reduce the health risks associated with sleep apnea.

CPAP/bi-level therapy is the safest and most effective treatment for sleep apnea. The most important steps are usually the first:

• Proper treatment pressure
• Selecting a comfortable system - continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP), automatic positive airway pressure (APAP) or a bi-level device and mask system.
• Education - having a good understanding of both your condition and your treatment.
  
  These three points can mean the difference between success and failure for many positive airway pressure (PAP) users. The most successful PAP users address these issues immediately. Of course, these initial steps can be revisited periodically, and probably should be. For instance, you may need to change your treatment pressure if you are not using an automatic CPAP device. You may find a more comfortable mask system or you may find that continuing to learn about sleep disordered breathing and its treatment keeps you motivated.
  
  Improving Therapy for Obstructive Sleep Apnea
  Despite the positive aspects of CPAP, compliance can be difficult to achieve. Some patients adjust immediately, but some give up and allow a serious health problem to worsen. The key to successful treatment is the understanding of your equipment and knowing how to make it as comfortable as possible. Using your therapy whenever you sleep (day or night), proper mask selection, humidification, support networks and education are all effective ways to improve your therapy.
  
  Mask Selection
  Today, there are a number of manufacturers making many mask designs. Because face shapes and preferences differ so much between positive airway pressure (PAP) device users, the number of choices is a good thing. Key factors to consider when selecting a mask include: comfort, quality of air seal, ease of fit, quietness, convenience, and air venting. Your Merit sleep therapist will help you determine what mask is right for you. Depending on what model you choose, Merit will even provide you with a free mask replacement if you decide to change masks within the first 30 days of treatment.
  
  Humidification
  Humidifying the air from your positive airway pressure device involves connecting a specially designed humidifier to your therapy system. Humidification is not necessary for all patients; however, adding a humidifier to your system may treat symptoms experienced by some people:
  
  • nasal congestion, dryness, or tenderness
  • mouth breathing (commonly referred to as "mouth leak")
  • dry mouth or throat

Treating these symptoms can improve the comfort and quality of your therapy.

Support Networks
Once you've received your positive airway pressure device and started your treatment, you may feel a bit overwhelmed. Establishing a support network with other people who are using CPAP will help you maintain a long-term commitment to your treatment. Consider the following options to form your own network:

• Join or start a local A.W.A.K.E. (Alert, Well, And Keeping Energetic) group. Visit for more information.
• Enlist the help of your spouse, partner, best friend or parent. Many patients have less trouble with therapy when their spouse, partner or family member takes an active role in the therapy.
• Start reading and/or posting your questions on Internet newsgroups for sleep apnea patients.

Education
A good understanding of your condition and of your treatment device can aid in compliance. That's why our licensed respiratory therapists thoroughly educate and train patients on the use of their equipment to ensure they are comfortable and ultimately complying with treatment guidelines. This results in the consistent successful treatment outcomes for which Merit is known. Our comprehensive compliance monitoring process begins the day a patient starts on treatment and continues for 6 months. As result, our CPAP patient compliance rate is higher than the national average.

If you need assistance with your sleep medical equipment, please call Merit 24 hours a day, 7 days a week at (888) 637-4848.