BiPAP is Bi-level Positive Airway Pressure. It is a breathing machine that helps patients receive more air into their lungs. Created in the 1990s, it ascended from the C-PAP, which means Continuous Positive Airway Pressure. In the 1980s, people used C-PAPs to help counter breathing difficulties such as sleep apnea.

Central sleep apnea is a problem in which a patients upper airway closes, causing breathing to cease randomly. Sleep apnea patients commonly wake abruptly with a huge rousing snore. Their quality of sleep is poor and can lead to mental problems such as depression and lack of concentration. The physical wellness of the sufferer can also diminish.

With the development of BiPAP, air sent through a Bipap mask can be set at one pressure for inhaling and another for exhaling. This makes the BiPAP mask much easier for sufferers to conform to and also allows neuromuscular disease sufferers to use the Bipap machine. Because of these dual settings, the BiPAP mask and Bipap machine allows people to get more air in and out of the lungs without the natural muscular effort needed to do so.

BiPAP has been determined to be particularly helpful for those with congestive heart failure and lung disorders, especially patients that result in above regular levels of carbon dioxide. Furthermore, patients for whom intubation is not possible can benefit from the breathing assistance from BiPAP.

There are several tests a doctor can try to find out if a BiPAP would be beneficial if you are a sufferer of sleep apnea. One is a respiratory test, which involves breathing into a machine to measure your lung capacity. The Forced Vital Capacity test is another prescribed test; it essentially tests how deep a breath you can take. However, these tests will not diagnose if you have sleep apnea, which is usually diagnosed with the help of sleep studies.

A BiPAP machine ?could cost between 2000 and 3000 US dollars (USD). The BiPAP machine, BiPAP mask and BiPAP accessories should be covered by medical insurance. It is also possible to purchase your own BiPAP machine. If that's not feasible, you also have the option to rent a BiPAP from a respiratory care company through a contract so you end up owning the machine. You should contact your doctor if you think you may benefit from a BiPAP machine.