CPAP and Humidification

To Humidify or not to Humidify

30 years ago when CPAP was first brought to the market, unless you were to jere rig something special, humidification with CPAP was not an option. It was not until some years after having been brought to market that humidification....whether cold or heated...was an option.
Some of the first CPAP patients that I was priviledged to train in its use, were in need of humidification none the less.
There was a period of years that humidification became available but was "stand alone". In other words the humidifier and or heater were not part of the CPAP unit. But more and more physicians were ordering humidification at the outset of treatment.
Today humidification is available on any unit that you might be prescribed.
There are some complications encountered from time to time with the use of humidification.
They are:

• Water accumulation in the hytrel tubing...thats your 6ft or so tubing that runs from the unit to your mask. Water is often more of problem when the temperature of the room is cooler. This causes "rain out" in the tubing. The gurggling can be annoying and the volume of water can be significant enough to obstruct your air flow. Your service company will know how to eliminate the problem. Sometimes it is as simple as placing the tubing under the covers and up off the cold floor.
• Even with the use of humidification a sore, scratchy throat can be experienced. Most often an increase in the temperature level will help. Also always make sure the humidication chamber is filled to proper level. Just be aware that an increase in temperature can increase the level of rain out.
• Somes sinuses are aggravated by warm moist humidifation.
• Improperly maintained humidifiers will sometimes lead to sinus infect.
• There are times that the use of humidification seems to cause adverse reaction in the airways.

So what is the bottom line for use of humidification?

       Humidification has one basic purpose.....it is not in of itself therapeutic

•  Humidification is for your comfort
• That being said....the choice is yours....there is not any specific way that humidification must be used.
• There is no need to use the heater on your humidifier if cool humidification feels better to you.
• In some cases people choose to not to use humidification at all.....again it is preference....your choice
• If you complain to your physician that you have sore throat or dryness of course he is going to want to know how you are using your humidification.
• COMPLIANCE....whatever it takes for you to consistently use your CPAP....that is what is important.

To Your Success

CPAP Tips....for compliance

Compliance....that is the buzzz word for everyone envolved with CPAP
First of all what in the world does CPAP stand for ....or mean
It is amazing how many users of CPAP do not remember or have never been told what those letters mean. Or for that matter many do not understand why they are using CPAP or what it does.
We will in lay terms give you the answers you may have have been seeking.

What do the letters CPAP mean?

• Continous
• Positive
• Airway
• Pressure

What does CPAP do?
Let's start by explaining what a normal respiratory cycle looks like.
Ah yes what is a respiratory cycle?

• A respiratory cycle is one complete breath....breathe in ...breathe out...that is a one respiratory cycle.
• A respriation...breath....begins when the pressure in your lungs reaches zero (0)
• This is called inspiration
• At the end of the breath in...inspiration....a postive pressure has been reached in the lungs
• Breathing out now begins
• This is expiration
• At the end of breathing out....expiration.... zero pressure is again reached
• That is one complete breathing cycle.

Now if you have gone to a Sleep Lab and have been tested for obstructive sleep apnea.....here is what happened;

• First tested to see if  you tested positive for sleep apnea.
• This involved several different test results that the tech was looking for....most importantly...were you getting enough oxygen into your blood while you slept.
• You must understand this is what breathing does....a breath in ...inpiration....allows oxygen to go into your blood.
• So if you are tested positive for sleep apnea most generally your oxygen levels are dropping too low while you sleep.

What causes you to test positive for sleep apnea?

• Remember we used the word "obstructive"
• This means that something in the airway....hey theres another of those medical words....your airway is the tube...trachea...that runs from your mouth and into your lungs.
• There is a little lid that covers your airway inside the mouth called an epiglottis.
• Somewhere along this tube...airway , there is an obstruction....something in the way of normal air flow.
• An obstruction can be various things that only your phsician can clearly identify.
• So positive?....you have an obstruction.

There is second part to this test that is most commonly done the same night. After being found positive for sleep apnea.

• Remember, normally, inspiration (breathing in) starts when zero pressure is reached in the lungs.
• Now the tech is going to use some type of mask that he deems necessary.
• This mask will be connected to a CPAP machine
• This machine allows the pressure in your airway to be changed.
• He will deternine what pressure....anywhere from 5cm to 25cm of pressure that is needed to keep your airway open...no obstruction.
• The pressure will be altered through the night to find the optimum pressure needed to keep the oxygen level in your blood at the appropriate level.
• Once the correct pressure has been determined
• This is the pressure that you now will maintain in your air throughout each respiratory cycle.
• You will no longer go to zero pressure at the start of a new breathe
• Hence the term
• Continous .....throughout the respiratory cycle ....both in and out..inspiration and expiration
• Positive.....No more zero pressure at the end of breathing out (expriration)
• Airway....this is the where it is all happening
• Pressure...a measured number....usually in centimeters of water pressure....perscribed by your physician.

COMPLIANCE

• A CPAP machine, mask and accessories will be perscribed by your physician.
• He is very interested that you use the equipment
• Medicare...private insurance.....will most generally pay the bill
• They are interested ....insist that you use it
• Most machines track the amount of time each day that the unit is used.
• Physicians and insurance companies ask for this data.
• To prove that you are using it.
• This is called.... COMPLIANCE