In an earlier blog post, we talked about why people love the DreamStation by Phillips Respironics. And no wonder—it’s small, quiet, easy to use, and doesn’t look ugly or clunky sitting on your nightstand.

If you love the DreamStation, then we have good news for you! Respironics just unveiled the next generation in this CPAP machine line—the DreamStation Go!

Meant to be the travel version of this already-small PAP machine, the DreamStation Go has all the great features of the regular DreamStation but at half the size. It has a third fewer components than other travel CPAP machines, which makes it much less of a hassle to pack and unpack on trips.

Remember the last time you flew on an airplane? The DreamStation Go meets all the FAA requirements for travel, so you’ll be able to board your plane with ease. Because it has fewer component parts, you know you won’t have the headaches you had last time you tried to set up a CPAP machine mid-air. Plus, it has altitude compensation settings, so you’ll remain comfortable your entire flight.

Plan on camping or heading somewhere else off-the-grid? The DreamStation Go features an overnight battery that can operate at 10cm of pressure for up to 13 hours.

Just like with its bigger brother, the DreamStation Go can be used with all your smart devices. It’s compatible with the DreamMapper app, and can sync data from your tablet, smartphone or computer. No matter what platform you like to use, you’ll be able to track your sleep data with this new CPAP machine!

The new DreamStation Go uses a 12mm micro-flexible tubing that is light, small, and flexible. It diminishes the drag you sometimes feel on CPAP masks, allowing you greater freedom of movement during sleep. Its click connections located on both ends of the tube make it a snap to connect and disconnect.

If you’re looking for a new CPAP to go with you wherever life’s journey takes you, consider the DreamStation Go!

You’re probably well aware of the impact sleep apnea has had on your day-to-day life as well as on the day-to-day life of your bed partner. Today, CPAP Central would like to talk about some of the long-term consequences of leaving your sleep apnea untreated.

 

You may have heard about how neglecting to use your CPAP every night can lead to things such as obesity and depression, but did you know it could also raise your blood pressure? Known as hypertension, this condition can easily turn deadly.

 

High blood pressure is dangerous for a few reasons. It occurs as your arteries and channels narrow because of fat and other deposits clogging them. This means more and more pressure is being put on your heart and vascular system. This leads to strokes or heart attacks.

 

Sleep apnea and high blood pressure go hand in hand as sleep apnea is more common in those that are overweight and obese, and the same is true with high blood pressure. Atherosclerosis, or the hardening of the arteries, shares some common physiological characteristics, suggesting that sleep apnea and hypertension are related to having cardiovascular disease.

 

A study completed by the Journal of Sleep Medicine observed 221 men with obstructive sleep apnea and took their diastolic and systolic blood pressures after three, six, nine and 12 months of CPAP therapy. Both of their numbers had decreased significantly after starting the therapy. Another study showed people with sleep apnea on average had higher blood pressure than those who did not.

 

One thing to take away from both studies is the importance of knowing the signs of sleep apnea and being diagnosed soon enough to take the appropriate action. Schedule an appointment with your doctor as soon as possible. They can then prescribe a sleep study that will better determine a diagnosis.

 

Let the experts at CPAP Central assist you in finding the right equipment for you. We look forward to helping you via our contact form or through our live chat, which is available 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. EST.

 

 

Ever feel dried out after waking up from a night of using your CPAP machine?  Sleep apnea therapy dries out your nasal passages and throat because pressurized air is pushed through the airway. A humidifier added to your CPAP treatment prevents these experiences by providing a little additional moisture to the air from your CPAP machine. Today, CPAP Central will discuss why humidifiers can help in your CPAP therapy and what the differences are.

 

There are three different kinds of humidifiers used for CPAP therapy:

 

• Cool Passover Humidifiers – This machine uses room temperature air to pass over the room temperature water in the humidifier chamber.
• Heated Humidifiers – This machine heats the water in the chamber as the air moves over it, picking up the humidity and heat, and then delivering it to your airway.

• Waterless Humidifiers—Right now, this can only be found with the ResMed AirMini Travel CPAP machine. It captures the heat and moisture from exhaled air and uses it to humidify therapy air.

 

Any of these options eliminate the sore throats and dry noses that you have experienced in the past.  Humidifiers can also resolve congestion issues as well as decrease the amount of nasal resistance that lead to mouth breathing and leaks.

 

A CPAP humidifier can be built-in, integrated or a standalone machine. Some of the differences include:

 

• Built-in humidifier – This component is designed to be a part of the CPAP machine and cannot be removed or separated.
• Integrated humidifier – This component fits onto a CPAP machine, eliminating the need for a second hose and in some heated humidifiers, a second cord.
• Standalone humidifier – This component will work with any CPAP machine and doesn’t attach to the machine. It uses its own power cord and typically a short hose connected to the CPAP machine.

 

If you’re still feeling dried-out even after using a CPAP humidifier, check out the blog we posted earlier this month—it has all kinds of hints on how to cope in a CPAP desert! If you’re still using sleep apnea therapy without a humidifier, head over to our online store and pick out a humidifier today!

Allergy season is still in full swing.  Dryness doesn’t help when you are constantly sneezing or rubbing your eyes from seasonal allergies. But, do you consistently wake up in the mornings with your mouth feeling dryer than a desert from your CPAP therapy?

Many CPAP users report dry throat, nasal passages or mouth the morning after they use their machine. However, you don’t have to settle for that unpleasant feeling. CPAP Central is here to offer four things you can do when you find yourself waking up feeling like a dried-out prune:

1. CPAP Humidifier

The first thing you can do is talk to your doctor about using a humidifier with your CPAP machine. Humidifiers help add moisture to the air that is passing through your nasal passage or mouth. Irritation from the air drying your airways out may cause swelling that narrows the airway, affecting the pressure of the air from your machine. Humidifiers help to minimize the irritation.

2. Different CPAP Mask

If you use a nasal mask and your mouth is drying out, that means that you’re a mouth breather. The pressurized air is leaking out through your mouth, drying it out. You may need to switch to a CPAP mask suitable for mouth breathers.

3. Stay hydrated throughout the day.

Make sure you’re getting your eight 8-ounce glasses of water a day. Avoid things such as coffee and soda, which can not only dry you out, they can also keep you from getting a good night’s rest.

4. Talk to Your Doctor

If none of these solutions work, you may have an underlying chronic problem. In that case, head to your doctor and have a conversation about them prescribing you a nasal steroid spray.

If you have any questions regarding this or any of our other products, feel free to contact CPAP Central or talk to us via our live chat, which is available Monday through Friday from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. We look forward to hearing from you!