BiPap may help you if you have a medical problem that impairs your breathing. For example, you might need BiPap if you have any of the following:

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disorder (COPD)

Obstructive sleep apnea

Obesity hypoventilation syndrome

Pneumonia

Asthma flare-up

Poor breathing after an operation

Neurological disease that disturbs breathing

BiPap may not be a good option if your breathing is very poor. It may also not be right for you if you have reduced consciousness or problems swallowing. BiPap may not help enough in these situations. Instead, you may need a ventilator with a mechanical tube that is inserted down your throat. Or you may benefit from a tracheostomy—a procedure that creates an airway in your windpipe.

In some cases, people can move off such ventilator support to BiPap as their breathing improves. People who do not want a breathing tube but want some assistance with breathing may also use BiPap.