what you need to know when hiring home health care

Sleep apnea is a serious condition that causes you to stop breathing multiple times while you are asleep. These breathing lapses are not only dangerous, but they also prevent you from getting a sufficient amount of rest. CPAP therapy, which is the most common form of treatment, forces air into your airway through a mask that is worn while you sleep. This therapy ensures your airway remains open while sleeping, reducing the periodic breathing lapses. The CPAP, or Continuous positive airway pressure machine requires cleaning and maintenance to ensure it is in proper working condition. With this guide, you will understand how to maintain this effective treatment for your sleep apnea.

Mask and Headgear

For CPAP therapy to work, you will need to wear a mask that is connected with a hose to your machine. Cleaning your mask and headgear is necessary to protect your head, face, nose, and mouth from bacteria and allergens.

Be sure to disconnect the mask from your tubing and headgear. Use disposable baby wipes to wipe down your mask each day. Baby wipes are strong enough to remove dirt, oil, and bacteria from your mask without the need for harmful chemicals. Use the wipes to clean off your headgear each day, as well.

Consider soaking your mask and headgear in a tub filled with warm water and liquid hand soap each month. Use warm water to rinse off the mask and headgear, removing any leftover soap. Place both the mask and headgear on a flat towel and allow to air dry before wearing.

Tubing

You do not need to clean your CPAP machine's tubing daily, but soaking it in a warm soapy solution each week is smart.

Allow the tubing to soak in the soapy solution for a few minutes, moving it around in the tub so the soapy water moves through the interior of the tubes. Be sure to rinse thoroughly.

Hang the tubing over a towel rack, which will allow any leftover water to drain out.

Filters

Your CPAP machine draws air from the room and into the machine before moving it into your airway. Fortunately, filters are able to trap out dirt, dust, and dander, preventing it from moving into your airway. Of course, you will need to replace these filters to ensure healthy air moves into the tubing and through your mask.

In most cases, the filter will be located in the back of the CPAP machine. Remove the gray filter and replace it with a new one every 6 months. If your machine uses two filters, remove the white paper filter that is located under the main gray one and replace it every other week. If the filters are reusable, remove them and rinse them off with warm water. Be sure the filters air dry before placing them back into your machine.

Treating sleep apnea with CPAP therapy is an effective option, but maintenance is essential for the machine to work properly. These tips will ensure your CPAP therapy is successful. Talk to a company like Lincoln Mobility for more help.