PROVENT – EPAP therapy
PROVENT is a therapy used to treat snoring and Obstructive Sleep Apnoea (OSA). It uses Expiratory Positive Airway Pressure (EPAP) to help control all severeties of OSA while at the same time combating snoring.
PROVENT can be used as a frontline therapy or can be used as an alternative to CPAP when one goes travelling. Typically we will use it as a frontline therapy if CPAP or a MAS is not tolerated.
WHAT IS IT?
PROVENT is a band aid like device that seals over the nostrils. When you breathe, yo will not notice a difference, but on the breath out a back pressure will be created, opening the airway.
HOW DOES IT WORK?
The diagram on the right illustrates that on inspiration, airflow is not restricted however on expiration a valve closes over restricting airflow creating an Expiratory Positive Airway Pressure until the next inspiration.
IS IT EFFECTIVE?
You will not know if it will work for you until you have tried it. There have been quite a few papers released showing that when warn effectively and tolerated, that PROVENT is an effective therapy for Sleep Apnoea. You will need to try it before determining whether you will tolerate it or not.
HOW DO I TRY IT?
PROVENT trial packs come in packets of thirty. The trial pack is designed to ease you into using the therapy so that after a week you are ready to use PROVENT to its full benefit. The packages will increase there resistance as you progress with the therapy. By night 7, you will be at a therapeutic resistence.
Like all therapies for sleep apnea, it will take time to get used too, so persistence is very important.
Dr SleepRight says:
PROVENT has been very popular with our patients who travel to remote destinations where power is not accessible. If you are considering using this as a frontline therapy while away, we strongly recommend trying it at home for a few nights first.
