Medical disclaimer

The CPAP Guide is a publisher, not a healthcare provider. Everything on this site is general health information. It is not medical advice, it is not a diagnosis, and it does not create a clinician–patient relationship of any kind.

Do not use this site to change your treatment

Do not start, stop, delay, or alter any treatment — including CPAP pressure settings, humidifier settings, ramp, EPR, or any medication — on the basis of something you read here. Pressure settings in particular are prescribed for you specifically, and adjusting them without clinical supervision can make your therapy less effective without you noticing.

If you think you have sleep apnea

See a doctor. Untreated obstructive sleep apnea is associated with serious cardiovascular and metabolic risk, and it cannot be self-diagnosed from a symptom list or a consumer wearable. A formal sleep study — in a lab or at home — is what produces a diagnosis.

Emergencies

If you are having chest pain, difficulty breathing, or any other medical emergency, call 911 or go to an emergency department. Do not look for the answer on a website.

Prescription devices

In the United States, positive airway pressure machines and complete masks are prescription medical devices. We describe them; we do not supply them, and we cannot help you obtain one without a prescription.

Accuracy

We work hard to be accurate and we cite our sources, but medicine changes and errors happen. We make no warranty that the information here is complete or current, and we are not liable for decisions made on the basis of it. If you spot an error, please tell us.