News - January ~ June 2015
5th May 2015
Winter Challenges with CPAP Therapy
The nights are getting colder and this means CPAP rain-out season.
Remember, the CPAP machine is drawing in air from your sleeping environment, so the colder the room air is, the colder the air you breathe.
If the air is too cold, this may disrupt your sleep. It can be quite common to wake up due to;
• a cold or runny nose
• cold air from the mask vent disturbing you or your bed partner
• water droplets / moisture in the hose or mask due to condensation
Read more about this common problem and tips on how to solve it.
Even when using a humidifier, it is likely that the air will still feel relatively cold, as the air flows quickly through your CPAP machine.
When you breathe out, the warm body temperature air will meet the cold air coming in from the room. This often causes condensation to form and may accumulate inside the mask and in the hose. This phenomenon is commonly referred to as ‘CPAP Rainout’.
In winter, a heated hose will help eliminate condensation.
CPAP therapy with blocked nose
A blocked nose due a cold, flu or an upper respiratory infection can make it more difficult for CPAP users to breath, as the CPAP therapy is usually delivered through the nasal passages via a nasal mask or a nasal pillow mask. As your nose becomes blocked, you may well open your mouth whilst sleeping.
When air from your CPAP machine escapes through your mouth (mouth leak) it can reduce the effectiveness of your CPAP therapy and can cause automatic machines to run at higher pressures as they try to compensate for this leak. Mouth leaks also prevent the lung's moist air from passing back through the nose which results in dry mouth, nasal congestion, runny nose and flu-like symptoms upon awakening.
For these occasions, many experienced CPAP have purchased a spare full face mask which allows their CPAP therapy to still be effectively delivered through the mouth.
19th March 2015
Trade In and Save
Trade-in your old Resmed - OK
Trade-in your old F&P - OK
Trade-in your old Philips/Respironics - OK
Trade-in your old Transcend - OK
17th March 2015
CPAP undone by mouth breathing
For people who struggle to breathe through their nose while sleeping, mouth breathing is the only alternative. But chronic ‘mouth breathers’ may not only be aggravating obstructive sleep apnea, they may also be undoing any effectiveness of continuous positive airways pressure (CPAP) treatment.
The airway performs best when breathing is practised consistently through the nose. Nose breathing strengthens the muscles of the upper airway, including those that line the throat. Obstruction in the nose, such as nasal congestion, can lead to increased mouth breathing.
