A Little Advice on Choosing CPAPs, BiPAPs and CPAP Masks
Posted by Andrew Senske on 5/7/2009 to
" Click here for our September 2011 article on equipment recommendations.
Here's a common scenario. You've just been diagnosed with sleep apnea. You've searched for one of the following keyword phrases on Google:
CPAP machines
Respironics' A-Flex Technology
Posted by Andrew Senske on 5/7/2009 to
"Guess what? XYZ CPAP manufacturer has built a better mousetrap!
It doesn't matter when I write this, or when you read this. The statement above seems to always be true. Just replace XYZ with one of the many manufacturers of CPAP equipment,
CPAP Maintenance in a Nutshell
Posted by Andrew Senske on 5/7/2009 to
"The new CPAP user often wonders about the maintenance that is required for CPAP equipment. It's nice to be able to tell customers that there is very little maintenance required for CPAP machines and related accessories. Basically, you just need
CPAP Machine Comparison Chart (CPAP Machine Buyer's Guide)
Posted by Andrew Senske on 5/7/2009 to
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Many customers ask about the differences between various CPAP machines. It's usually very easy to rattle off several differences between CPAP machines manufactured by different companies, but differences among CPAP machines within model
Are Insurance Companies Crazy?
Posted by Andrew Senske on 4/8/2009 to
Okay, I know the article title is ridiculous. Of course insurance companies aren't crazy. It's the people running them who are crazy... or just plain lazy. I haven't figured that one out, yet, but I think it's a combination of the two to be
Mirage Activa LT Design Improvements - A Comparison of the Mirage Activa LT and the Mirage Activa
Posted by Andrew Senske on 1/19/2009 to
ResMed Pricing Policy Change
Posted by Andrew Senske on 12/24/2008 to
It's been just over two years since ResMed implemented the ResMed Preferred Internet Provider program. As of 12/22/2008, the RPIP program no longer exists and ResMed is no longer forcing retailers to adhere to minimum retail pricing.
ResMed now
Aerophagia in CPAP Users
Posted by Andrew Senske on 12/14/2008 to
Over the last eight years we've heard plenty of complaints from CPAP users regarding various side-effects of CPAP therapy. All too often we hear people complaining of a bloated feeling, like their stomachs have filled with air. Generally these people are awakened during the night and they can't get restful sleep. The CPAP therapy may be working for them inasmuch as it's addressing the issue of obstructive sleep apnea, but it's creating a new, significant problem: aerophagia. While it's not clear how many CPAP users suffer from aerophagia, we can say for sure it's a problem we hear about quite frequently, and it's certainly an issue that needs to be addressed in order to achieve positive results from CPAP therapy.
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First let's define aerophagia, and then we'll explore why it might occur and what can be done to mitigate it or to altogether prevent the phenomenon from occurring during CPAP therapy. Remember, I'm not a doctor, so this isn't medical advice. If you've got medical issues which need immediate attention, I'm not your guy. Call your doctor, make an appointment, and go in and have a nice conversation with him. If you suspect he might not know anything about aerophagia vis-a-vis CPAP therapy, you can print out this article and bring it in for a little show-and-tell.
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Aerophagia is defined very simply as the condition in which a person swallows too much air into the stomach. Aerophagia can cause bloating and discomfort, and can result in excessive burping. Everyone has experienced aerophagia to a certain extent, and when it happens and enough air is swallowed it's often expelled through burping. Aerophagia can be caused by eating foods that produce gas in the stomach - like bran, vegetables, beer or soda - or by excessive salivation. Eating quickly, eating with your mouth open, and drinking while eating are also said to contribute to aerophagia. So, at the dinner table you can try to avoid aerophagia by having good manners! In bed, though, with a CPAP machine pumping air up your nose or into your mouth, good manners aren't enough.
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To the casual observer it seems obvious enough. If air is pumped into your nose and mouth then you're going to swallow it. But wait. It's not so simple. Why would the air go down your esophagus and into your stomach, rather than going down your trachea and into your lungs? There are a couple of potential reasons.
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First on the list is the position of the head, and how the position affects the trachea. If the trachea is not fully opened and is not able to accomodate the amount of pressure being delivered by the CPAP machine, then the overflow is going to get pushed into the esophagus. Did you ever take a CPR class? The key to blowing air into someone's lungs is to properly align the neck and head. If you don't do this - that is, if you don't fully open the airway - then you'll be blowing air into the esophagus and stomach. The same principle applies to other non-invasive ventilation techniques, including CPAP therapy.
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Second on the list of reasons also has to do with basic fluid dynamics. The CPAP machine might be delivering too much air for your trachea and lungs to handle. This is very closely related to the head position, but it's a little different because the problem could potentially occur when the head and neck are properly aligned and when the trachea is wide open. Remember the last traffic jam you were in? Cars started to leave the jammed up street to take a different route. The same thing happens with gases like air. If the air doesn't fit in the trachea, it's going to go somewhere else. Too much air can cause you to swallow involuntarily (like an uncontrollable gag, really), opening the epiglottis. If you have a high pressure setting, this could be an issue.
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Third on the list of reasons is air leaks. No matter your level of CPAP pressure, if air is going in through your nose and is leaking out of your mouth, you will undoubtedly swallow involuntarily. If the leaks are bad enough you'll probably end up ripping your mask off your face during the night without even knowing it. Leaks out the mouth when using a nasal mask are very uncomfortable and bascially intolerable, and can definitely contribute to aerophagia.
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If you're experiencing the symptoms of aerophagia, you can try to address the issues accordingly:
<ul>
<li>Adjust the position of your head so that it's not tilting forward while you sleep - keep the airway wide open
<li>Talk to your prescribing doctor about reducing the pressure setting on your CPAP machine
<li>Consider an automatic CPAP machine - they generally deliver much less than prescribed pressure
<li>Consider a machine with exhalation pressure relief - this will help prevent involuntary swallowing; in conjunction with an automatic machine your aerophagia days may be over rather quickly
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The best choice for an automatic CPAP machine with exhalation pressure relief is the <a href="http://www.cpap-supply.com/ProductDetails.asp?ProductCode=DS510S&e=Y">REMstar Auto M Series with A-Flex</a>.
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If you want to save a little money and get a better warranty I suggest the <a href="http://www.cpap-supply.com/DeVilbiss-IntelliPAP-AutoAdjust-p/intellipap-autoadjust.htm">IntelliPAP AutoAdjust</a>. It doesn't have exhalation pressure relief, but it's an excellent automatic CPAP machine.
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I can't stress enough the importance of visiting your doctor if you continue to experience negative side-effects while using your CPAP machine. If you continue to experience aerophagia while using your CPAP machine even after trying some of the tips above, then you need to determine once and for all the cause of your problem. Perhaps the cause is unrelated to CPAP therapy. Get to the bottom of it.
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If you have any comments or questions about aerophagia or your experience with the problem, <a href="http://www.cpap-supply.com/v/Contact.asp">send us an email</a> and let us know. We'd love to hear from you.
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Andrew Senske<br>
President<br>
<a href="http://www.cpap-supply.com" target="new">www.cpap-supply.com</a>
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<a href="http://www.cpap-supply.com" target="new">CPAP-Supply.com</a> is a leading online retailer of CPAP equipment. Located in Spokane, WA <a href="http://www.cpap-supply.com" target="new">CPAP-Supply.com</a> has been serving thousands of customers around the world since 2001. Founded on a belief that patients are their own best primary care providers, CPAP-Supply.com understands the importance of educating patients and customers on both the effects of and treatment for obstructive sleep apnea. For more information visit <a href="http://www.cpap-supply.com" target="new">CPAP-Supply.com</a> or call toll free 1-888-955-2727.
An Overview of the Home Sleep Test
Posted by Andrew Senske on 8/20/2008 to
"Are you dreading the thought of going through a sleep study conducted at a sleep lab? Have you done it once or twice before and now your doctor is suggesting you do it again? Not many people enjoy a sleep test in a lab, and some people are
Silence Your M Series CPAP Machine
Posted by Andrew Senske on 7/22/2008 to
"If you have a Respironics M Series CPAP machine, or if you're thinking of buying one, then you should know about a newly-released part from Respironics that helps to reduce machine noise. It's called a whisper filter cap, and it's designed to fit
Prescriptions for CPAP Machines
Posted by Andrew Senske on 7/22/2008 to
"We get this question a lot: ""What should my prescription say?"". We get it enough that I've decided to write about it. I figure that bandwidth on the internet is cheaper than bandwidth over the phone, so write this down I shall. Of course, if
5 Tips for Improved CPAP Therapy
Posted by Andrew Senske on 7/22/2008 to
"CPAP therapy has benefited millions of people who suffer from sleep apnea. For some, the therapy is difficult to get used to. For others, it becomes second nature almost immediately. Either way, CPAP therapy can be extremely effective in
What's Going on with Respironics' Pricing?
Posted by Andrew Senske on 4/30/2008 to
"On March 31, 2008 you may have noticed a funny thing happening to Respironics' pricing on our website. The marketing guys at Respironics recently designed and implemented what they call a minimum advertised price policy which prohibits retailers
Interested in CPAP Mask Insurance?
Posted by Andrew Senske on 3/7/2008 to
"If you've taken the time to scour the internet for the latest and greatest offerings in the world of CPAP equipment, you've no doubt come across one or two websites that offer CPAP mask insurance. I know we've had a few phone calls from customers
A View Inside a Respironics REMstar Pro CPAP Machine
Posted by Andrew Senske on 1/5/2007 to
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A few weeks ago I was looking around our stock room when I came across a non-functioning CPAP machine sitting on a shelf. It was an old REMstar Pro with an E-24 error, usually associated with some sort of water damage (figure 1). With the same level of curiosity I had with machines (radios, tvs, video games, etc.) when I was a kid, I found a screw driver and opened up the machine.
ResMed's Internet Selling and Advertising Policies
Posted by Andrew Senske on 1/3/2007 to
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Since October 2006 ResMed has been enforcing controversial policies regarding the sale of CPAP equipment over the internet. While I believe the fine folks running the show at ResMed are acutely
A Closer Look at CPAP Pressure
Posted by Andrew Senske on 12/27/2006 to
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Some patients read to me their CPAP prescription over the phone before they fax it over. They say the numbers and letters as if it's all Greek to them and usually follow up by saying something
An Introduction to Sleep Apnea
Posted by Andrew Senske on 12/18/2006 to
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Definition of Sleep Apnea
The Microsoft Encarta Encyclopedia describes apnea the following way:
"" Apnea , cessation of breathing. Periods of apnea in which breathing ceases for a
You Can Adjust the Pressure on Your CPAP Machine
Posted by Andrew Senske on 12/17/2006 to
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Remember the last time you went to the pharmacy to pick up a prescription? You walked up to the counter, handed over the script, waited a few minutes and received a full bottle or package of something - pills, liquids, whatever. ""Take the prescribed dose once per day for ten days, with food"", the pharmacist said.
Respironics REMstar and BiPAP Models to be Discontinued January 1, 2007
Posted by Andrew Senske on 12/12/2006 to
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When new models of CPAP machines are developed it’s only a matter of time until the older models are discontinued. As you know this year Respironics released the new REMstar M Series and BiPAP M
A Travel CPAP Guide
Posted by Andrew Senske on 12/12/2006 to
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I remember bedtime as a kid growing up in Spokane, WA. My room was down a short hallway from my parents' room. I'd sleep with my door mostly open, and they'd sleep with theirs nearly shut - just open
CPAP Equipment Prices Can't Get Any Lower, Can They?
Posted by Andrew Senske on 12/9/2006 to
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I used to be surprised when people would call and try to negotiate a lower price for CPAP equipment. I would always tell customers who asked for lower prices that our prices are already really low and
The Anatomy of a CPAP Mask
Posted by Andrew Senske on 12/9/2006 to
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New CPAP users generally need help finding the right CPAP mask to go along with their new CPAP machine. It's all too easy for CPAP suppliers to recommend the most popular CPAP mask, which for us is the
CPAP Humidifiers are Common Among CPAP Users
Posted by Andrew Senske on 12/7/2006 to
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I'm sitting in my living room typing this article - which is going to tell you what I know about CPAP humidification - and I'm looking down at my hands noticing how dry they are. They're so dry my skin