CPAP Machines

My grandfather snored like a walrus with a head cold. If you watched the exterior of that Pennsylvania farmhouse at night, you could see the roof rise and fall and the windows bulge outward with his nightly singing. You could do that because you would have nothing else to do in the dark, unless, like grandma, you were nearly deaf. The rest of us certainly wouldn’t be asleep when Pap was. Take it from a 9-year-old girl staring wide-eyed into the blackness of rural Pennsylvania and contemplating the ghostly number of ancestors who died in the stone house built in 1848. So perhaps Pappy is where I get this snoring thing. My grown daughter Eleanor has been haranguing me for several years to go be checked for sleep apnea, a condition in which a person snores and then stops breathing — hopefully temporarily, though not always I’m told. She claimed I would stop breathing for long stretches that made her nervous. Yeah, yeah, yeah. Just more unnecessary doctor visits. After all, the dog rarely complains and almost never howls in unison. And me? I’m asleep. How would I know what I’m doing? Several months ago, however, doctors investigating minor stomach trouble insisted that your local columnist undergo a quick test in which they knock you out and stick cameras down your throat to maraud around in the murky squishiness of what one might call the upper guts. One question they asked first: Have you ever been diagnosed with sleep apnea? No, I said, I haven’t. Just as I came to, coughing and choking, being wheeled on a gurney down a hall at Advent Health, the doctor demanded, “I thought you said you didn’t have sleep [...]

Manual mode: Know your CPAP humidifier With CPAP, comfort is everything! A CPAP humidifier helps many users enjoy maximum comfort. In most cases, the Climate Control Auto settings provide the best protection against rain-out (an uncomfortable condition in which humidified air cools too quickly and condenses in your mask, becoming water droplets that dampen your face). But some nights, it helps to have more control over your humidification to meet your individual needs. That’s why we include Climate Control Manual mode in your ResMed AirSense™ 10, AirCurve™ 10 or S9™ CPAP/VPAP machine – so long as you also have a ClimateLine™ or ClimateLineAir™ heated tube. Here’s how it works: How do I find the Climate Control Manual mode? Air10™ users: You can access the Climate Control Manual setting anytime. From your machine’s Home screen: Select My Options Select Climate Ctrl Change default “Auto” setting to Manual Select Humidity Level and turn the dial to change the humidity (1–8; default setting is 4) Select Tube Temp and turn the dial to set the ClimateLine/ClimateLineAir heated tube to the temperature you find most comfortable (60–86⁰F; default setting is 81⁰F). For more details, see your ClimateLineAir user guide. S9 users: Your equipment supplier must turn on your Climate Control Manual setting for you if they haven’t already. From your machine’s Home screen: For humidity: Turn the dial to highlight the water drop icon; push the dial, turning the background yellow. Then turn the dial again to set the humidity (1–6, default setting is 3). Push the dial once more to set the new humidity level. For tube temperature: Turn the dial to highlight the thermometer icon; push the dial, turning that background yellow. Then turn the dial again to set [...]

Bloating is a sign that you are swallowing the CPAP air. There is no real medical solution, but we have found that sleeping position may be a factor. Try sleeping as flat as possible first, even without a pillow. If that position doesn't help, try sleeping on your side or elevated, whichever one you don't sleep in now. If changing your position doesn't resolve the problem, talk to your doctor.

When a physician orders a pressure change, or a patient moves to an area with a very different altitude and does not have an altitude compensating machine, there are a number of ways to ensure you are receiving CPAP therapy at the correct pressure. The first and most common way is to contact your Homecare Provider.  The company that sold you your machine is normally more than willing to help you adjust your pressure. A second way is to call the sleep laboratories and/or sleep disorder centre, as they may be willing to make this pressure change for you.  Be sure to take your prescription. It is the law and good common sense to run all sleep disorder devices at the prescribed pressure. If you think your prescribed pressure is wrong, talk to your physician.

All CPAPs will operate on DC power with the use of an inverter to change the current from DC to AC before it reaches the machine. However, many will operate on DC power without the need for an inverter, just a power cord that plugs into the CPAP and ends in a cigarette lighter plug. Inverters do require a lot of power. If you need to use an inverter to run your machine on battery power, the inverter will probably take about half the life off the battery. To determine if your CPAP will operate without an inverter, look for a DC outlet on the machine, either at the back or on the side, with a single opening directly in the center. It should be labeled "DC Power" or similar term.

An adapter may be required to plug a US power cord into a wall outlet in a foreign country.   All the models cpapsupply.ca sell contain power converters that enable the machine to operate on any AC current from 100 to 240 volts without any adjustment. Check with your dealer or manufacturer to see if your machine needs an external converter that lowers the voltage from 240 to 120 VAC.

Yes. CPAP therapy should be used every night. In the USA & Canada CPAP it is not counted as a carry on item for air travel. Some locations in Asia and Europe will count it as a carry on, but all will allow it.

To prepare for your international travel, be sure to: Check the voltage of your destination. You may need a plug adapter for your machine. Go ahead and pack spare parts to your equipment.  Unfortunately, CPAPsupply.ca cannot ship to most destinations around the world.

CPAP therapy should be used every night. Your CPAP should go with you on trips. There are some tips to help with your travel: Remove Water From The Humidifier. If you are going to take your CPAP humidifier with you, remove ALL water from the humidifier chamber. Water left in the humidifier chamber can be tipped into your machine and cause damage. Accompany Your CPAP Through Security. Stay with your CPAP. When going through security, security agents will usually need to inspect the CPAP separately. Ask to stay with the CPAP. This way you can watch them handle the CPAP machine, and you can make sure all of your parts (cords, masks, chambers) get back into the bag. Plan Your Power Needs. Know what type of power your CPAP requires. If you are going to use a battery, make sure you have all the parts needed to safely run the CPAP on battery power. If you are traveling abroad make sure you have an international adapter plug. Identify Your CPAP as Medical Equipment. To help move through security easier, put a Medical Equipment tag on your CPAP bag. Pack Your Power Cord. Just like people commonly leave cell phone chargers at home or in the hotel, we frequently get called from travelers who left their cpap power cord. Check to make sure your cord is packed with your machine. Bring Spare Parts and Back Up Mask. Like the power cord, items get left behind or misplaced while on the road. Having backup parts and a back up mask will make sure that you are not caught without equipment.