One of the most recommended & common treatments for Sleep Apnea is the treatment with CPAP machines. After consultation with your sleep specialist, a sleep study is conducted to observe sleep and breathing patterns. Post which, the sleep specialist may recommend or prescribe Continuous Positive Air Pressure therapy. The sleep specialist will prescribe either a CPAP machine, BiPAP or an APAP device. These CPAP machines may be of a specific brand name or a generic machine depending on which brand your sleep specialist thinks is best.
Machine – Once diagnosed with Sleep Apnea, the sleep specialist will either prescribe the right machine for you or give you options and leave the choice of picking the right machine to you. If you are new to the world of sleep apnea, finding the right machine can be quite daunting. Especially because there are many brands out there, both well known and generic ones too. So it’s best to leave it to the specialist. On the brighter side, there is a great range for anyone to choose the right machine from. If you are confused about choosing the right machine, MRIPL is more than happy to assist you with this. Simply give us a call and we can recommend the right CPAP for you.
Masks – Once you’ve found the right breathing device, the next step is to find a good CPAP mask which is incredibly important. This is important because the mask should be comfortable enough to wear while sleeping, and flexible to keep up with the patient’s sleep behaviour. As for masks, there is an even wider range to choose from online as well as at Sleep Therapy stores. There are 4 kinds of CPAP masks available widely. Pretty much most of these involve securing straps around the forehead and chin. Some use silicone gel cushions and flexible foam. However, this is constantly evolving according to the needs and comforts of the patients.
- Nasal pillows – These are CPAP masks with tubes connected directly to the nostrils. Nasal Pillows are mostly for nose breathers since the tube is connected directly to the nose leaving the mouth area free.
- Nasal masks – with a seal around the nose – Nasal Masks are a popular choice for CPAP wearers. You can order the CPAP masks here: https://www.mripl.com/product/cpap-masks-accessories/joyceeasy/
- Full-face masks – These are CPAP masks which cover the nose and mouth. Full face masks are available on the CPAP masks section of our site. https://www.mripl.com/shop/cpap-masks-accessories/
https://www.mripl.com/product/cpap-masks-accessories/joyce-full-face-silkgel/
Joyce full mask is a great full face mask to go for. If you have claustrophobia or are uncomfortable with a full face mask, then go for Joyce Easy mask. Everything about our ventilation mask JOYCEeasy is aimed at easy operation, from the simple mask adjustment directly on the patient to the intuitive handling of the stable nasal mask. Because the improved fit of JOYCEeasy reduces leaking and pressure points to a minimum, patients immediately improve compliance with therapy. JOYCEeasy is also available as a full face mask.
Convenience – If you do not like too much hassle with a CPAP mask, a full face mask wouldn’t be a good choice. A nasal mask or a nasal pillow is recommended.
Static or Dynamic Sleeper
Do you move a lot in your sleep or do you maintain one sleeping position for a long time in your sleep? This is a factor that will affect your choice of sleep therapy mask. Nasal Pillows and Nasal masks are great for people who move around a lot in their sleep. A full face mask will be a bad choice for people who move too much in their sleep. Are you a side sleeper or a back sleeper? If you are a back sleeper a Full Face Mask is recommended as the seals work best in this position.
Leaks
If you have facial hair, there is a good chance that many masks you wear may cause leakage of air. It is important to speak to your sleep specialist to ensure that your CPAP mask addresses this issue.
Structure of Face
Your Facial structure can affect your CPAP usage. Shape of the face, length of the nose, the width of the nostrils, facial bone structure & denture usage are factors to be considered when buying your CPAP machine. Some materials of face masks can cause skin irritation due to sensitive skin, allergy or the texture and cut of the mask. If you have a deviated septum or any other issues related to structure of your nose, a nasal mask won’t be a good choice. A full face mask on the other hand will be an option to consider. If you have dentures, you must make sure the straps on the face don’t affect your dentures or cause additional pain.
Dry Mouth
If you commonly suffer from a dry mouth due to CPAP use, a humidifier will greatly help alleviate this condition. When you use humidifiers, moisture is added to the air that passes through the device.The added moisture is what alleviates the dry mouth symptoms, other irritations and makes the use of CPAP machines much more comfortable. There are heated humidifiers available which slightly increases the temperature of the CPAP machine. Cool passover humidifiers are also available in the market to keep the air cool.
The choice of humidifier can depend on the country you live in. If it is a hot, tropical country, a heated humidifier will not be required as the room temperature will be adequate to provide the heat in the humidifier. There are also humidifiers that have the option to set the temperature yourself.
Here are a few humidifiers available at MRIPL:
https://www.mripl.com/product/cpap-masks-accessories/somnoaqua/
https://www.mripl.com/product/cpap-masks-accessories/prismaaqua/
The final important tip is to make sure that you always buy from a trusted and reliable CPAP supplier or dealer, who is genuinely interested in selling you the right device and mask. CPAP machines as mentioned above, may require a few trials to see if they are perfectly suited for your face to avoid leaks and irritations. So, it is very important to have a vendor who is able to handle these requests and help you find the right match and also provide you with further support, if required.