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Your ALS clinic or medical team will monitor your breathing, provide respiratory support, and prescribe the right respiratory devices at the right time. Using respiratory devices can improve your quality of life and help you live longer.
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These are the most common types of respiratory devices that help people living with ALS:
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A bilevel (or BiPAP) is a small breathing machine that delivers pressurized air through a face mask to assist with both inhaling and exhaling, primarily during sleep.
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A portable ventilator (Trilogy) can help you breathe either noninvasively (via a mask) or invasively (via a trach). It has a bilevel mode for sleeping and daytime breathing support.
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A cough assist machine helps your breathing by clearing phlegm and fluid-like secretions from your lungs. Using it daily can also help condition the diaphragm muscle, even if no secretions are present.
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A suction machine is a simple device, similar to the wand at the dentist’s office, that uses suction to remove excess mucus and saliva from your mouth.
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