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Tag Archive for: Everything CPAP
Modern sleep studies have led to treatments and technology that have improved lives dramatically over the years – but it wasn’t always easy.
From early tracheotomy to smart CPAP machines, we’ve come a long way baby!
Buying used items online is second nature by now, but getting a second-hand CPAP can cost more money and negatively effect your health in the long term.
At Apnea Health we always go the extra mile.
Because we know that private health insurance coverage can be confusing and tricky, as experts in sleep medicine, we offer our patients assistance with insurance benefits. Read on to hear how it works.
- When you visit our clinic…
- Insurance Claims FAQs
- What’s NOT covered by insurance providers
- Insurance Claim Forms and Contact information
When you visit our clinic, together we can contact your insurer to verify your insurance benefits and coverage for both rentals and purchases
We’ll also find out the terms of the rental or purchase and we can provide you with an estimate of your expected financial responsibility at the time of set-up and monthly for the term of your rental.
If you’re comfortable asking your CPAP provider on your own, we will supply you with the necessary equipment estimate and your prescription or sleep results for those who were seen in our sleep clinic. Get direct access to your insurer contact details here.
In general, Apnea Health is unable to bill your private health insurer directly, but we are able to help people like yourself by providing you with quick turnaround, affordable prices, and dependable custom service.
Insurance Claims FAQs
What is covered by Health Insurance Benefits?
Health Benefits plans offered by employers often cover the full or partial cost of CPAP machines (typically 80% of cost) and CPAP supplies, such as masks, tubing, filters etc. Coverage may vary, so we recommend confirming your coverage with your Insurance Provider. A contact list of common Canadian Insurance providers can be found below.
How can I obtain a quote or estimate for supplies?
If you need a quote or estimate for your Insurance Provider to confirm coverage prior to purchasing, you can either call us directly (1-800-727-8748) and we’ll be happy to assist your or you can do it yourself at shop.apneesante.com through the following steps:
How do I submit for reimbursement after purchase?
If you’re eligible for reimbursement for your CPAP equipment, you will likely need to submit your receipt for reimbursement. When you purchase from Apnea Health online or in our clinic, you’ll receive a hard copy and soft copy (pdf by email) of your paid invoice.
What’s NOT covered by insurance provider
CPAP Cleaning Products:
CPAP Comfort Products:
Insurance Claim Forms and Contact information
Great West/Canada Life:
- Claim form
- Phone: 1-800-957-9777
- Website
BlueCross:
- Claim form
- Phone: 1-800-355-9133
- Website
SunLife:
- Claim form
- Phone: 1-800-361-6212
- Website
MÉDIC Construction:
- Claim form
- Phone: 1-800-807-2433
- Website
Desjardins:
- Claim form
- Phone: 1-800-463-7843
- Website
Manulife:
- Claim form
- Phone: 1-800-268-6195
- Website
Industrielle Alliance:
- Claim form
- Phone: 1-800-463-6236
- Website
Standard Life:
- Claim form
- Phone: 1-800-268-6195
- Website
Greenshield:
- Claim form
- Phone: 1-888-711-1119
- Website
The Co-operators:
- Claim form
- Phone: 1-800-667-8164
- Website
Equitable Life:
- Claim form
- Phone: 1-800-265-4556
- Website
RWAM Extended Healthcare:
- Claim form
- Phone: 1-877-888-7926
- Website
If you’re a CPAP user, waking up with water on your face can be a truly disturbing experience.
Half awake, you start worrying that something is wrong with your CPAP. Don’t be alarmed. This is a fairly common problem known as rainout.
- What is rainout?
- What are the consequences of rainout?
- How can you deal with rainout?
- Related links and products
What is rainout?
Rainout is something that only occurs when CPAP users have a humidifier attached to their CPAP machine. When the temperature of the room is colder than the temperature of the humidified air traveling through your CPAP tube, water condensation builds up on the sides of the tube. The water will then drip onto the user as it exits the tube—essentially raining on you.
What are the consequences of rainout?
First and foremost, rainout can wake you up when dripping on your face, but it also has other consequences as well. These include:
- Noisy sleep therapy: The moisture in the tube can cause a variety of unusual noises during the night, from gurgling to banging as the air pressure flows down the tube full of droplets.
- Mold growth on CPAP supplies: Your supplies become less sanitary if not dried out properly after your CPAP session ends, as the waiting moisture is a breeding ground for germs and molds.
- Shortened lifespan of equipment: Moisture leftover from rainout can even lead to your supplies degrading faster, contributing to small holes in your tubing that are hard to notice.
How can you deal with rainout?
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Customize your humidification settings.
The main cause of rainout is the difference in the temperature of your room and the temperature in your tubing. The ResMed AirSense 10 AutoSet, Respironics DreamStation and F&P Sleep Style prevent rainout with their climate control functions:
- Automated Climate Control: Adjusts the humidity level of your water chamber and the temperature of your heated hose to match your room’s climate
- Heated Tubing: Controls the the moisture levels and the air temperature in your tube
- Tube Drier: After using your CPAP, a snowflake symbol will flash and the machine will dry out any moisture that remains in your hose
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Upgrade to a heated tube.
If you don’t already have a heated tube or yours is defective, consider also purchasing a new one. The heating function will keep water droplets from forming inside the tube and prevent rainout from happening. Find your tube here.
When CPAP supplies don’t function as well as they used to, replacing them is the quickest and most effective solution. Private health insurance covers replenishment parts yearly.
If you already have a heated tube but you’re still experiencing rainout, you probably need to manually adjust the settings. Below find out how to adjust for each CPAP machine we carry:
Shop heated tubing
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Insulate your tube with a tube cover.
If you don’t have a CPAP machine compatible with a heated hose yet, then a tube cover can help lower the amount of rainout that occurs. Tube covers provide an extra layer of protection between the temperature in your room and the temperature in your tube. This helps keep rainout down by insulating your tube from your room’s cool air that would otherwise condense the water vapour in your tube back into droplets.
Shop tube covers
-
Make sure you’re cleaning your CPAP.
Water buildup can restrict airflow from your CPAP, but rainout isn’t just a problem that prevents you from having a peaceful night’s sleep. If you aren’t cleaning your supplies every day, the moisture buildup can allow bacteria and mold to grow in your CPAP tube. The Lumin CPAP Cleaner will sanitize your equipment and prevent you from breathing in those harmful particles.
- One-click cleaning: Just press a button and let the Lumin do the rest
- Completely compatible: No adapter needed to use with any mask and machine
Shop the Lumin
Related links and products
If you want success with your CPAP treatment, the number one concern is comfort.
And if you’re suffering from a dry mouth or water in your tube, you’re not setting yourself up for success. Besides choosing the right mask, you need to know how to use your CPAP humidifier to enjoy maximum comfort.
- All our CPAP include a heated humidifier and a heated tube
- How do I find the Climate Control Manual mode?
- Important message for Resmed S9 users
- When should I change the temp in my humidifier and in my heated tube?
- A few important things to note
- Helpful videos from Resmed, Philips and Fisher & Paykel
At Apnée Santé, all our CPAP include a heated humidifier and a heated tube. When you begin treatment with us, we set the humidity to Climate Control Auto.
Normally, the Climate Control Auto settings provide the best protection against rain-out (an uncomfortable condition in which humidified air cools too quickly and condenses in your mask, becoming water droplets that dampen your face).
But some nights, it helps to have more control over your humidification to meet your individual needs. To be able to adjust the humidity yourself, you can set your CPAP to Climate Control Manual mode.
How do I find the Climate Control Manual mode?
Resmed AirSense users: You can access the Climate Control Manual setting anytime. From your machine’s Home screen:
- Select My Options
- Select Climate Ctrl
- Change default “Auto” setting to Manual
- Select Humidity Level and turn the dial to change the humidity (1–8; default setting is 4)
- Select Tube Temp and turn the dial to set the ClimateLine/ClimateLineAir heated tube to the temperature you find most comfortable (60–86⁰F; default setting is 81⁰F).
For more details, see your ClimateLineAir user guide.
S9 users: Your equipment supplier must turn on your Climate Control Manual setting for you if they haven’t already.
From your machine’s Home screen:
- For humidity: Turn the dial to highlight the water drop icon; push the dial, turning the background yellow. Then turn the dial again to set the humidity (1–6, default setting is 3). Push the dial once more to set the new humidity level.
- For tube temperature: Turn the dial to highlight the thermometer icon; push the dial, turning that background yellow. Then turn the dial again to set the ClimateLine/ClimateLineAir tube temperature (15–30⁰ C, default setting is 27⁰ C). Push the dial once more to set the new temp.
(Watch this helpful S9 video.)
When should I change the temp in my humidifier and in my heated tube?
Most patients find cooler air easier to breathe while trying to sleep, especially those who are new to CPAP, wear a full face CPAP mask, and women experiencing hot flashes at bedtime. However, warmer air provides the best humidity and helps reduce nasal irritation since your nose doesn’t have to warm all that CPAP air on its own. It generally helps to increase:
- Humidity if dry air is causing you to wake up with dry mouth, an uncomfortable side effect that 40% of CPAP users experience. If you want more humidity, try manually adjusting it and the temperature one notch at a time. If you reach the highest levels and still feel dry, please contact your respiratory therapist at Apnée Santé. There may be other factors causing your dryness. (You should also check for mask leak if you wake up to find your humidifier’s water chamber empty.)
- Tube temperature if you’re experiencing dryness despite increasing the humidity. Consider increasing your tube temperature by just 1⁰C to see if that provides the best comfort.
A few important things to note
There are no right or wrong settings with the humidifier. You need to adjust your CPAP according to your individual needs throughout the year. You may sleep with the windows open during the winter and require more heat in your tube to reduce condensation.
In the summer, when it’s hot and humid in Quebec, you’ll certainly need to turn down the level in your humidifier and you may even turn off the Climate Line heated tube. Trial and error is the best.
And, if you’re still experiencing difficulty please contact your local Apnée Santé clinic. Our clinicians will be happy to help you!
Related blog: Do you really need a humidifier with your CPAP?
Helpful videos from Resmed, Philips and Fisher & Paykel
Resmed:
Philips Respironics:
Fisher & Paykel:
Every CPAP user in Quebec has to deal with it: the need for humidity in our climate.
Even if you’re already using a humidifier, you might have been asking yourself some common questions – like why is a CPAP humidifier important anyway? Does distilled water really make a difference? How do I deal when I travel?
Well, once again Apnea Health has your answers.
- Why is a humidifier important? One word: comfort.
- That’s where heated humidifiers and tubes come in
- The water level in my humidifier hasn’t budged. Why?
- What’s with the fancy distilled water?
- Using distilled water reduces mineral deposits in your water chamber
- What about when I travel?
- What NOT to do with your water chamber
- Upgrade to a CPAP with advanced humidification
- Care for Life at Apnea Health
Why is a humidifier important? One word: comfort.
By using a heated humidifier, you reduce your chances of waking up with dry mouth in the morning, and being bothered by nasal congestion at night. While in the southern US it’s common to buy just the compressor without a humidifier, here in our Canadian climate, the extra humidity is a must. Because of that, humidifiers are usually included with CPAP machines sold here, so make sure you don’t miss out on their benefits!
Here’s what’s happening with your CPAP. In simple terms, your CPAP draws the ambient air from the room, filters out impurities, then passes it through the tube into your lungs at just the right pressure. It’s like a vacuum in reverse – just less noisy. Now imagine how you’d feel if it were blowing cold, dry air at you all night – ouch!
That’s where heated humidifiers and tubes come in
By using your humidifier, you’ll experience less dryness in your nose, sinuses and lungs. You can also reduce the risk of nasal congestion, inflammation, infections, and nosebleeds.1
As for a heated tube, well, that can help too. With standard tubing you can run into condensation problems – especially if the temperature in your room is on the cooler side. Humidity produced by your CPAP can wind up condensing in the tube if it’s cold, and get stuck there instead of making it to your nose where you want it. You may have noticed some “rainout” in your tube in the morning – which means you’re not getting the benefit of the humidifier and will probably still be stuck with some of the symptoms above.
The water level in my humidifier hasn’t budged. Why?
Don’t panic! Your CPAP is working properly.
As we said before, the CPAP takes the air from your bedroom and sends it into your tube. An amazing thing with these machines is they constantly measure the humidity of the air they draw – if it already meets the comfort level you chose for your CPAP, the machine will leave the water tank alone and blow the air as is.
So, depending on the weather, the season, and personal preference, your CPAP’s thirst for distilled water will be different. Most of our patients need less distilled water in the summer, and ramp up in the winter when the air gets drier. Even in summer though, we recommend leaving a little water in your humidifier each night to prevent it from running dry and potentially damaging the heating element over time.
If it feels like your CPAP is causing dryness in your nose, sinuses or lungs, please let us know. We’re all about your sleep comfort. Just give us a call, or drop by anytime we’re open, and one of our respiratory therapists will be happy to help!
What’s with the fancy distilled water?
Lots of patients ask why they can’t just use tap water with their CPAP. After all, we’ve got some of the best tap water in the world – and it’s free – so why not use it?
The reason is there are still microorganisms and minerals in the water from your tap. According to Brandon Peters (2019), a board-certified neurologist and sleep medicine specialist:
“Boiling water will kill microbes, but it will not remove minerals or chemical contaminants. These minerals that make water ‘hard’ include calcium, magnesium, iron, and others—if they are present in the water put in the humidifier’s water chamber, over time scale will develop that discolors the container and could damage the machine. Filtered water may remove some of the minerals but may not remove living organisms or other chemicals. Bottled water that has been distilled is certainly the safest option.’’2
Using distilled water reduces mineral deposits in your water chamber
The odd splash of tap water won’t hurt the tank, but long term, mineral build-up from using hard water will damage the plastic and shorten its life. That’s why most CPAP manufacturers recommend distilled water.
What about when I travel?
Travelling’s awesome. It means getting exposed to new cultures, architecture, food, and lifestyles. But it also means getting exposed to some fun new microbes your body isn’t used to. Even if the water’s safe to drink, that doesn’t mean it’s a good idea to put it in your CPAP. Peters mentions that “tap water within Neti pots in Louisiana has led to a few reports of harmful parasite infections affecting the brain. This condition can be fatal and treatment may be ineffective.’’1
All right, that sounds scary, and he goes on to say that “the same risk has not been demonstrated with the use of CPAP,” but think about it – everything in your water chamber gets vapourized and inhaled to your nose, sinuses and lungs. Do you really want to take the risk?
We recommend that you take the time to go buy a bottle of distilled water when you arrive at your destination. Call it a tourist experience – why not? So you get to go check out a grocery store in a new country. Hey, you can even pick up a little of what the locals eat at the same time… you might find it an interesting switch from what’s on the “tourist menu” at the restaurants!
What NOT to do with your water chamber
If you keep in mind that everything that goes in your water chamber can go into your lungs, you should be ok. Wash it every day with mild soap and regular water, rinse carefully, then let it air dry. That’s enough to get rid of any bacteria before you fill it back up with distilled water.
Don’t get any silly ideas about putting alcohol, bleach or ammonia in there, or any perfumes or essential oils to make the air smell pretty – your lungs won’t thank you! Use nothing but soap and water for cleaning, and distilled water for therapy, and everything should be fine.
Upgrade to a CPAP with advanced humidification
Learn more about the Airsense
Learn more about SleepStyle
Care for Life at Apnea Health
Don’t forget, the Apnea Health team wants to give you the best CPAP care you can get.
All of our patients are made part of our Care for Life Program, so whether it’s helping you tweak the level of humidity in your CPAP, answering any questions you might have, our respirologists and sleep experts are here for you!
- https://www.sleepapnea.org/treat/cpap-therapy/what-you-should-know-about-cpap-humidification/
- Peters, B. (2019). Do You Have to Use Only Distilled Water in the CPAP Humidifier?. [online] Verywell health. Available at: https://www.verywellhealth.com/do-you-need-distilled-water-for-the-cpap-humidifier-3015017 [Accessed 5 Oct. 2019].
Alcohol and sleep make for strange bedfellows at the best of times.
While having a drink (or three) before bed can relax your muscles and indeed lead to falling asleep faster, in reality your body is not achieving restorative sleep when you’ve been drinking.
Even if we aren’t talking about enough alcohol to land you with a head-ringing hangover the next day, your nighttime celebration alters your sleeping brain wave patterns,1 so even if you’re in bed “sleeping” for several hours, you’ll likely feel tired the next morning. Add Obstructive Sleep Apnea to the mix, and you are going to pay a heavier price than you may have bargained for when you accepted that last round at the end of the night.
- How does alcohol make us snore?
- Faster sleep doesn’t mean better sleep
- Apnea never sleeps
- Limit your intake
- Allowing time for alcohol to wear off before bed
- Tempering alcohol with water
- Balance is key
- If you are a habitual drinker with OSA, consider using Auto-CPAP
How does alcohol make us snore?
Alcohol is a depressant that causes muscle relaxation. While you sleep, the muscles of your throat relax, your tongue falls backward, and your throat becomes narrow. What you hear as snoring is simply the vibration of the throat tissues as you breathe. The narrower your airway becomes, the greater the vibration and the louder your snoring. For this reason, even people who don’t suffer from OSA are likely to saw logs during sleep.
Faster sleep doesn’t mean better sleep
Using a CPAP machine can help sufferers of OSA get a much better night’s sleep, but sometimes settling down at bedtime can be a problem for anyone. When you drink alcohol, you may fall asleep hard and fast, but alcohol will only exacerbate your sleep apnea, essentially doubling down on your sleep disruption. Drinking alcohol can actually increase the apnea events and their duration, and you’re likely to feel the symptoms in the morning.
As mentioned above, one of the effects of alcohol is to cause muscle relaxation. If you remember what they told you when you first sought treatment for OSA, it all begins with relaxation of the muscles of the soft palate, which then descends to block your airway and cause repeated micro-waking events throughout the night.
You don’t usually notice it, but you’re actually being robbed of restorative REM sleep and that’s why you awaken feeling as though you were up half the night. Muscle relaxation caused by alcohol has the same effect, even on people without OSA,2 so combining the two means you’re in for a rough morning.
Apnea never sleeps
If you regularly use a CPAP machine, having had a few drinks is no reason to take a “night off” and flop into your bed with the mask hanging beside you like an awkward wallflower at a party. For most patients who have adapted to sleeping with a CPAP machine, the restfulness it brings makes it a cherished companion they wouldn’t want to do without. For some though, early struggles to get used to the machine may leave a lingering resistance, even if they know that regular use is better for them. That’s completely normal.
The trouble with “tying one on” is that it can lead to questionable decision making, and the decision to leave the mask hanging after you’ve had a few is definitely not a good one. You can take a break from treatment, but your apnea won’t – so if you’ve already impaired your sleep cycle with drinking, do yourself a favour and at least make sure you’re getting the assistance of your CPAP while you sleep it off.
Limit your intake
Numerous studies, going back to the 1980s, have clearly established the ways that alcohol can worsen sleep apnea.3
Even without the science, ever since the stone age humans discovered that drinking the funny-tasting grape juice made them feel good, we’ve known that there’s a price to pay for drinking. If you’re planning a night that might include alcoholic beverages, consider planning to cut yourself off after a fixed number so you don’t over-indulge.
Allowing time for alcohol to wear off before bed
It takes time for your body to metabolise alcohol so it’s best to Quit while you’re ahead. There’s really no way around it. Even one or two drinks before bed are enough to throw off your sleep cycle, so the tradition of the nightcap was clearly invented by someone who didn’t understand the value of a good night’s sleep.
To avoid disruption, consider giving yourself a “last call” a few hours before you hit the sack. It varies based on weight and gender, but as a general rule it takes about an hour to process one unit of alcohol (it doesn’t matter if that means a beer, a glass of wine, or a shot of tequila) so try to give yourself 2-3 hours between your last drink and bedtime.4 You’ll be thanking yourself in the morning.
Tempering alcohol with water
There’s an old expression about mixing types of alcohol that goes something like, “beer then liquor, makes you sicker, liquor then beer in the clear.”
While that might have some merit with regards to impulse control and the temptation to drink faster if you’re piling on shots at the end of the night, it doesn’t really help when it comes to your ability to get restorative sleep. Alcohol is alcohol as far as your brain and body are concerned. One trick is to alternate water or some other (non-sugary or caffeinated) drink between each alcoholic one. Call it, “water between booze, helps you snooze.”
It’ll not only help you stay at the party without embarrassing yourself, but it will also mean that your overall consumption is lowered so you’ll be better off when you call it a night. Just be careful not think you can carry this trick to the extreme and balance out a bender with a giant jug of water – that much consumption of any liquid before bed is likely to mean you’re waking up for a different reason.
Balance is key
There’s nothing wrong with having a few drinks with friends from time to time. The trouble with alcohol is it can easily fool you into thinking that you’re sleeping better because you fall asleep faster, when in fact the opposite is true. Because of the allure of falling asleep quickly when you’re regularly tired, many people succumb to the trap of “self medicating” with a drink or two before bedtime, which in the long term will not only rob you of rest but can also lead to alcohol dependence.
If you choose to drink that’s fine, but doing so in moderation, stopping early, and making sure to always use your CPAP will greatly improve your quality of sleep. And remember that if you’re struggling with sleep habits or the use of your CPAP machine, the team at Apnée Santé is always there to help.
If you are a habitual drinker with OSA, consider using Auto-CPAP
Probably the most important thing you can do after drinking a few glasses is to use an Auto-CPAP machine. Why is this? As your muscle tissue relaxes, an increase in pressure may be needed to keep your airway open. An auto CPAP machine can detect variations in airflow and self-adjust as need be so that you get optimal air pressure throughout the night. If you’re in a fixed pressure, your CPAP is set to a constant pressure that reflects a typical night’s sleep and not a night affected by alcohol.
You should also keep in mind the importance of setting up your continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) under typical sleeping conditions. Therefore, if you drink alcohol daily but abstain prior to your sleep study, the pressure may not be adequate to maintain your airway when you drink.
To maximize your response to therapy, let us check verify that your CPAP is delivering the right pressure for your needs.
- https://www.sleepfoundation.org/articles/how-alcohol-affects-quality-and-quantity-sleep
- https://www.sleepfoundation.org/articles/how-alcohol-affects-quality-and-quantity-sleep
- https://www.atsjournals.org/doi/abs/10.1164/arrd.1985.132.6.1238
- https://www.verywellhealth.com/wait-between-alcohol-sleep-3014979