Assessment of auto-titrating positive airways pressure in the management of treatment-related aerophagia.

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Patients who suffer from Obstructive Sleep Apnoea, a disorder where the airway closes during sleep, are often prescribed treatment with CPAP (Continuous Positive Airways Pressure). This is a device that blows air down the airway via a face mask. Some patients experience stomach bloating as a result of this therapy. This research aims to try an alternative treatment, APAP (Automatic Positive Airways Pressure), to assess if this is better tolerated in these patients. APAP delivers the pressure by sensing when the airway closes and only increasing if necessary. Patients will use CPAP for two weeks and APAP for two weeks (in random order) to see which treatment is best tolerated. We propose that treatment with APAP will result in more effective and comfortable therapy. Patients who currently discontinue or struggle with CPAP due to these side-effects will have a reasonable alternative.