Here are all the CPAP machine and other CPAP products manufacturers I could find. If you have any others, let me know in the comments.
Just found out about this cool combo option: Apparently, you can get a Resmed S8 Compact CPAP Machine, one of the smallest CPAP machines out there, and a Resmed HumidAire 3i Heated Humidifier, and combine the two. When brought together, the two devices combine into a Voltron-like hybrid device, bringing CPAP and humidifier in a way god never intended.
But seriously, this is a pretty useful combination of two devices that are useful in the same place. My wife needs the humidifier to survive the winter months, and if I had a CPAP machine I could use this combo to fulfill both our needs. The S8 runs $725 and the Humidaire $260, so for just shy of $1000 this system works for me.
As an aside, a guy at my old job did a sleep study Monday night and found out he has sleep apnea. I consoled him, but was also able to use the knowledge I’ve recently acquired about CPAP and sleep apnea to reassure him that the doctors have lots of options for helping him. That felt nice.
Looks like one of our favorite CPAP retailers, CPAP Mart, has discounts on Remstar M Series CPAP machines. In their CPAP Specials section, they have the Respironics DS200H and Respironics DS200HS CPAP machines, both part of the REMstar Plus M Series and with C-Flex and Heated Humidifier, for below the manufacturer’s advertised price. The DS200H is less than $809 (they’ll email you the price), and the DS200HS (which adds a SmartCard) is less than $849. I love it when stores have mysterious secret pricing!
Royal Philips Electronics NV, the company that bought Respironics for $5.1 billion a few months ago, is looking for even more health care companies to buy and add to its multi-faceted healthcare conglomerate. According to Forbes, earlier this month they bought Dixtal Biomedica e Technologia, a Brazilian firm, for an undisclosed sum, and they haven’t finished swallowing other companies whole.
The acquisition of Respironics for such a large sum shows that Philips is dead serious and can afford most of the medium firms out there. Already owning Respironics means Philips probably doesn’t need another CPAP machine company, though if their Respironics unit is threatened by the likes of ProBasics, Resmed, Puritan Bennet, or AEIOMed, perhaps with a new type of CPAP machine or an innovative CPAP mask, Philips may have to buy them to protect its investment.
U.S. News talked with doctors about the added risk to sufferers of obstructive sleep apnea during surgery. The same risks patients face during sleep can become even more risky during a medical procedure, for several reasons:
Those with mild sleep apnea don’t have much to worry about, but those who rely on a CPAP machine may need to go on one right after the surgery, in order to avoid complications. Make sure your doctor knows about your sleep apnea, and that he or she is properly prepared with a CPAP machine on hand, if necessary.
Two CPAP Machines were donated to the Caledonia Area Ambulance Service (CAAS). The CPAP machines, which normally cost $600 apiece (CPAP machines at CPAP Mart can cost $595-$825 for Resmed CPAP machines and $670-$2180 for Respironics CPAP machines) were given to assist the paramedics in emergency situations, forcing air into the lungs when conventional CPR isn’t enough.
“The CPAP system increases the volume of oxygen forced into the lungs, opens up the capillaries, and dramatically improves breathing for a distressed patient,” Tornstrom continued. “With these units we can provide immediate medical treatment to a patient suffering from respiratory issues.”
The CAAS staff has undergone a four-hour training course on the use of the CPAP system, and has a unit in each of its two ambulances. With the portable oxygen tank the CAAS has, the CPAP units become portable and can be taken into homes, other buildings, and emergency situations.
A new study about Obstructive Sleep Apnea shows that sleep apnea patients sleep no differently in a hospital than a hotel. The study shows that there was no difference in sleep parameters between two groups of patients, one housed in a hotel, one in a hospital.
The study measured “sleep onset latency, sleep efficiency, REM sleep latency, total amount of slow wave sleep, and total stage 1 sleep“.
There is a growing trend of hotel-based sleep laboratories, but this study proves that there is no benefit to the patient of being housed in a hotel for a sleep apnea study. Patients with obstructed sleep apnea are so familiar with hospital settings, due to the chronic nature of the disease, that they do not feel any less comfortable sleeping in a hospital.
Of course, things are different for those of us with CPAP Machines. A CPAP machine user needs his machine in order to sleep properly at night, and not having that trusty Resmed equipment with a CPAP mask on your face does make a big difference. I don’t care how comfortable a hotel is, without a Respironics or other CPAP machine, I won’t be staying there!
MSNBC has an article talking about the social implications of CPAP machines. The writer talked with many couples in which one partner uses a CPAP mask to treat a sleep disorder, and some couples found it a libido killer, while others said the CPAP machine improved the lives, and consequently, their sex lives.
It’s a tough call, obviously. On the one hand, you’ve got this thing strapped to your face and a CPAP machine whirring all night (at one point, the article describes it like sleeping with Darth Vader). On the other hand, without a proper CPAP machine, the sleep apnea sufferer could die, and certainly won’t get a good night’s sleep. With your sleep disrupted, how good could your libido be anyways?
That’s what a lot of people in the article say, that regardless of the annoyance of the actual CPAP machine and the treatment, it has made their lives much better (and possibly saved their lives), and that’s the most important thing.
Most CPAP users say they’re as matter-of-fact about the device as anyone who needs crutches, prosthetics or other aid for a serious medical condition — and that they expect romantic partners to be the same.
“I’ve never been self-conscious about it,” said Vicki Thon, a 50-year-old single mom who has balanced CPAP use and an active social life for 11 years. “I say, ‘This is what I need to be healthy.’”
I see what happens to my wife when she doesn’t get a good night’s sleep, and it isn’t pretty. She uses a humidifier to avoid terrible sinus infections, and the noise is a pleasure, because it means less days of her being sick. Regardless of the bulk of a CPAP machine, the benefits of having one are too important to ignore.
Sleep Apnea Info has a quick, easy five question quiz that can help you determine if you have sleep apnea. I took it, and it said:
Based on your answers to the Self-Assessment Quiz questions, you may be suffering from obstructive sleep apnea or another sleep disorder.
Oy! Perhaps I need a CPAP Machine!
But seriously, take the quiz and see if you may be suffering. If you get similarly disheartening results to my own, consult your doctor. If your doctor diagnoses you with sleep apnea, inquire about whether a CPAP machine is right for you.
Just because you have sleep problems, doesn’t mean you have to suffer. CPAP can often be the answer, with a machine from a company like ProBasics or Resmed taking care of all your problems. Check out CPAP Mart for more details.
CPAPtalk.com is going to be running its third product challenge, pitting the Hans Rudolph V2 Full Face Mask against the ResMed Ultra Mirage Full Face Mask. 50 participants will evaluate the Hans Rudolph CPAP Masks and fill out surveys, which will be compared against the ResMed CPAP mask to determine the latest winner.
The last Product Challenge, between the Zzz-Mask full face and the Respironics ComfortFull 2 masks, was a close race with the ComfortFull 2 winning by a vote of 29 to 21. The Zzz-Mask stayed competitive in all areas of the trial. This Challenge provides manufacturers, durable medical equipment providers and doctors an insight to CPAP user preferences. The trial results could change drastically if PMI ProBasics requests a rematch after addressing the participants’ comments in regards to adding a quick-release hose adapter or new headgear clips.
Which CPAP Mask is your favorite? Feel free to talk about your experiences in the comments.
CPAP Masks like these can be found at CPAP Mart.com, which also has a selection of CPAP Machines and other products.