continuous positive airway pressure

noun

Definition of continuous positive airway pressure

: a technique for relieving breathing problems (such as those associated with sleep apnea or congestive heart failure) by pumping a steady flow of air at constant pressure through the nose to prevent the narrowing or collapse of air passages or to help the lungs to expand —abbreviation CPAP — compare bilevel positive airway pressure

Examples of continuous positive airway pressure in a Sentence

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Kramer hadn’t taken his snoring seriously until he was diagnosed with sleep apnea and began sleeping with a continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) machine. — Sarah Gantz, Philly.com, "The high cost of getting a good night's sleep," 6 June 2018 Traditionally the only way to prevent this would be to use a continuous positive airway pressure, or CPAP, machine, or a similar device. — Shari Rudavsky, Indianapolis Star, "Apnea woes? New implanted device may restore uninterrupted sleep," 27 Mar. 2018 Vander Heiden ordered him a device called a CPAP, an abbreviated term for continuous positive airway pressure, to help Johnson sleep at night. — Shannon Green, OrlandoSentinel.com, "UCF center Jordan Johnson treasures gift of sleep, anchors Knights’ powerful offensive line," 24 Dec. 2017 McGirr’s apnea was alleviated by a device known as a CPAP (continuous positive airway pressure) system, a nose-nozzle contraption that makes its wearer look a little like Darth Vader unmasked. — David Kamp, New York Times, "Exploring the Necessity and Virtue of Sleep," 10 Oct. 2017 There’s a drug-free treatment that works extremely well About 60% of people who are diagnosed with sleep apnea experience major improvement after beginning a treatment called continuous positive airway pressure, or CPAP, says Dr. Pack. — Health.com, "The Conductors in Two Recent Train Crashes Had This Sleep Disorder. Here’s Why It Can Be So Dangerous," 22 Sep. 2017 Treatments often include bulky continuous positive airway pressure devices that pump air into a person's throat to keep their airway open. — Ben Panko, Smithsonian, "Liquid Cats, Didgeridoo Research and More From the 2017 Ig Nobel Prizes," 15 Sep. 2017

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'continuous positive airway pressure.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

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continuous positive airway pressure

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continuous-tone

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The first known use of continuous positive airway pressure was in 1975

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continuous positive airway pressure

noun

Medical Definition of continuous positive airway pressure

: a technique for relieving breathing problems (as those associated with sleep apnea or congestive heart failure) by pumping a steady flow of air of constant pressure through the nose to prevent the narrowing or collapse of air passages or to help the lungs to expand The most common treatment for patients with sleep apnea is to provide continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) at the upper airway, usually through a nasal mask, during sleep.— Jeffrey M. Drazen —abbreviation CPAP — compare bilevel positive airway pressure, positive end-expiratory pressure