Do you know that eight million people in the US use CPAP machines? And the number of CPAP users proliferates yearly because of the rising number of sleep apnea patients. A CPAP machine maintains the airflow in your system by keeping your air passage open throughout the night.
What’s more interesting to know is whether you can fall sick because of your CPAP machine or not! This will be the point of our discussion in this article, and you can also learn some quick tips to keep your CPAP machine clean.
Let’s begin,
Why is your CPAP machine the reason for your illness?
The mask is attached to a CPAP machine, and it sits on your face while you breathe.
On using the face mask over time, dirt and germs may accumulate on its surface, and you may inhale those micro particles unknowingly. Molds and bacteria in various parts of the machine may also find their way into your lungs. If your humidifier water tank is not clean, you may also accidentally inhale particles and bacteria. All this can happen when you don’t clean your CPAP machine regularly.
As you know, bacteria and viruses can live on the surface for four to five hours, and the chances are high that you can fall sick. However, there is nothing to panic about; regular cleaning of your machine with a sanitizer can help. Read on to know the right technique to clean your CPAP machine.
How to clean it
Regular cleaning of your Resmed Airsense 10 CPAP machine is an absolute necessity. A study from Harvard University reveals that your chances of falling ill reduce if you clean your CPAP machine with the help of the following tips-
- Wash your mask and tubing with warm water and mild dish soap (with no additives or moisturizers), and ensure that the devices are fully-submerged in water so that all bacteria are washed away.
- Use diluted distilled white vinegar to wash away mold formation. The acetic acid formula doesn’t let the dirt sit in your CPAP mask.
- If your machine has a disposable filter, change it every month to keep viruses and bacteria at bay.
Another effective method other than washing is using resmed cpap cleaners and sanitizers. Know why through the below explanation.
CPAP cleaners and sanitizers
Leaving a CPAP machine in a moist environment can harbor mold growth. The mucus may also collect around the mask as you breathe in and out through it. Several germs and bacteria may also grow on your mask if you don’t clean it for a long time.
Ozone and UVC light sanitizers come as a great help in such scenarios!
These sanitizers can kill 99.99% of the bacteria present in your CPAP machine. Hence, explore some options for CPAP machine sanitizers and cleaners while buying the machine.
