02-27-2014, 03:06 AM
RE: Help with cleaning and infections
Hunty, if you are not using a heated hose, hoses are pretty cheap. I've bought 4 authentic Respironics hoses from ebay for $20 delivered. Buy several hoses, and when you clean one, swap with one of the other hoses and let the cleaned one dry for a week or so.
In addition to other washing, you can hook the hose up to the water faucet and run hot water through it for a while. I have an old CPAP machine that I use to dry my hose after my weekly cleaning.
Get a new mask or mask cushions as often as your insurance will cover, and keep the old ones until you have a good stock of spare parts. Wash and disinfect them the old ones and put them in a "clean and sit dry" cycle like I suggested for the hose. Ditto on the water tank. Be sure to get the "dishwashable" water tank, even if you have to buy it online for $30 or so.
I dishwash my mask parts and water tanks. Dishwashing the hose is tricky because the water won't flow through the inside of the hose properly.
I believe the antibacterial filters that go on the hose are intended for a single nights us in hospitals and sleep labs. After using for one night, they'll be essentially a wet sponge and I would think they'd tend to grow bacteria if you use them more than one or two nights.
A lack of humidity may tend to dry out your lungs and make them more susceptible to infections. It's also possible that too much humidity causes problems, too.
Some mask parts can be dropped into boiling water, but turn off the heat first. Drop in the parts, and leave them till the water cools. Try it on a spare mask or spare mask parts first, in case your mask isn't "hot water" safe. Hoses are a little more sensitive to hot water, but most of them can take 70C water for 30 minutes to kill off a lot of germs.
BTW, even boiling water doesn't actually kill ALL types of terms, but it will kill of most types of germs. That's why you need a pressure cooker for canning food, or a pressurized autoclave for medical equipment sterilization.
In addition to other washing, you can hook the hose up to the water faucet and run hot water through it for a while. I have an old CPAP machine that I use to dry my hose after my weekly cleaning.
Get a new mask or mask cushions as often as your insurance will cover, and keep the old ones until you have a good stock of spare parts. Wash and disinfect them the old ones and put them in a "clean and sit dry" cycle like I suggested for the hose. Ditto on the water tank. Be sure to get the "dishwashable" water tank, even if you have to buy it online for $30 or so.
I dishwash my mask parts and water tanks. Dishwashing the hose is tricky because the water won't flow through the inside of the hose properly.
I believe the antibacterial filters that go on the hose are intended for a single nights us in hospitals and sleep labs. After using for one night, they'll be essentially a wet sponge and I would think they'd tend to grow bacteria if you use them more than one or two nights.
A lack of humidity may tend to dry out your lungs and make them more susceptible to infections. It's also possible that too much humidity causes problems, too.
Some mask parts can be dropped into boiling water, but turn off the heat first. Drop in the parts, and leave them till the water cools. Try it on a spare mask or spare mask parts first, in case your mask isn't "hot water" safe. Hoses are a little more sensitive to hot water, but most of them can take 70C water for 30 minutes to kill off a lot of germs.
BTW, even boiling water doesn't actually kill ALL types of terms, but it will kill of most types of germs. That's why you need a pressure cooker for canning food, or a pressurized autoclave for medical equipment sterilization.
Get the free OSCAR CPAP software here.
Useful links.
Click here for information on the main alternative to CPAP.
If it's midnight and a DME tells you it's dark outside, go and check it yourself.
Useful links.
Click here for information on the main alternative to CPAP.
If it's midnight and a DME tells you it's dark outside, go and check it yourself.
