D.E.Bishop
Eagle Rock, CA
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Joined: 08/09/2001
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I've been having problems with rhinitus on and off for several years and this last year with the help of a great pulmanologist found that the CPAP exasterbates my post rhinitus problems. It makes me asperate nasal discharge and inflames my bronchial tubes and makes me cough. I have with the Dr's approval been trying different things and right now the frequency of rhinitus is zero, no cough but I'm not using the CPAP. Everytime I use it the next day an attack, stop using it attack stops and no cough.
I thought that maybe there was something(mold/pollen) in the mask or tube and looked up the cleaning instructions and found that I am supposed to completly dissasemble the mast, wash it in a mild soap(Dove/Ivory) and air dry it, the same with the tube(hose). This was not explained to me with either of y CPAPs and I cleaned occationally. Question, how often do you folks clean your mask and tube? I have the new super special does everything but feel good while using it Mask from respironics, Modle M Plus.
* This post was
edited 04/11/12 09:52pm by an administrator/moderator *
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Pangaea Ron
Anacortes, WA, USA
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My instructions say to wash the mask every day with baby shampoo and warm water and rinse throughly. And then weekly to wash the mask strap, hose, reservoir and outer filter in warm water and baby shampoo and rinse throughly. Then soak the reservoir in mixture of 1/3 vinegar to 2/3 warm water and soak for ~1/2 hour.
I think that is is important to allow all of the parts to dry each day: mask, hose, strap, and reservoir. I have hooks on the wall to allow them to drain and air dry.
Always use distilled water in the reservoir.
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RRUGG
Newaygo, MI,USA
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I almost never clean mine and don't have problems. If you're having problems, you probably should follow directions. My wife has rhinitis but she doesn't have a CPAP. She sometimes uses an over the counter decongestant but her doctor gave her a prescription for a nasal spray that takes care of it.
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kokosfriend
Nashville, TN
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I soak them about one a month in vinegar and water solution. I take care to run the solution completely through the tube and let it soak half a day. Works for me! Sound like daily or weekly would be better for you.
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afraid of bears
Prince George Area
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I wash mine every once in a while. Definitely not daily and usually not weekly. When I do wash it, I use a good shot of dish soap and hot water. I dry the outside with a towel and let the inside of the mask and hose air dry. Using distilled water also makes a difference.
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Gale Hawkins
Murray, KY
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RRUGG wrote:I almost never clean mine and don't have problems. If you're having problems, you probably should follow directions. My wife has rhinitis but she doesn't have a CPAP. She sometimes uses an over the counter decongestant but her doctor gave her a prescription for a nasal spray that takes care of it.
2X on the washing part. I found more problems with washing regularlly vs seldom especially skin to mask reactions and air sealing. At first I was strapping the mask to snug. Learned it was to be loose until the seal inflates from the air pressure.
I think it just takes time for each body to learn how to best use a CPAP set-up.
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D.E.Bishop
Eagle Rock, CA
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Just a little more information about my using a CPAP, this is my third machine and mask combo and my second with a humidifier. The first machine was really positive pressure, never got used to it, hatted it, second was a REM Star with the vents in the classic comfort mask, used that for several years, only used the pasover humidifier at our condo in the Eastern Sierra, elev. about 7500 feet, my current machine has the heated humidifier and I hate the humidifier, mask is almost as nice as the REM Classic Comfort mask. All in all it's been over 17 years since I got my first CPAP and never once in all that time has anyone told me to wash the mask or how. I have attended two classes on the use of the CPAC at the dealers headquarters and one at the medical center in LA. I did learn about wahing by reading but did it very little with the Classic Comfort, since changing to the new mask and machine is when all the problems with the rhinitus started. When we return from our trip back to the midwest i April/May I will try using it again as I can really tell the difference in how tired I get when I don't use it. I'm just not taking a chance on the bronchiel problems that have stopped since I quit using it coming back. i will set up an appointment with the sleep disorders clinic for late May or early June and discuss the problems and set up a new course of action, if I have to wash every morning I'll do that but what pain. By the way, i throw out the filters if I see any sign of particulates on them and put in new filters and replace the hose and mask every our monts now. Thanks for your input.
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okeehandyman
south florida
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About two weeks w/ water and vinegar, thoroughly rinse and air dry. Keep filter clean and always use distilled water.
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locust78
New England
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I felt like I had to weigh in when I saw this topic. After off & on sinus problems that I felt were connected to my CPAP, two things finally helped me. The first was to always run my humidifier. Even during the humid days of Summer, I needed to keep that thing going or I'd pay for it. The second was a device called So Clean that kills all the organisms lurking around in my mask, hose, etc. Washing with detergent alone didn't seem to do it. The So Clean machine is basically a box that my mask sets in and circulates ozone through the system. It does it all on a timer, I don't have to take anything apart. Things have settled down quite a bit for me since I started using it. For what it's worth...
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mobeewan
Hampton, Va
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I was a little slack on cleaning my mask and wound up getting bronchitis 3 times twice when I caught colds and once by itself during winter and spring of last year. I have 3 masks and hoses now. I wipe the mask as needed now and switch to a clean mask and hose after about a week unless I get rainout from the humidifier then I hang up the mask to dry out and switch to the next spare until it dries out. After using the third mask it is cleaning day and I disassemble all the masks and wash them all in warm water with Dawn. My CPAP came with a 1 piece resivoir. After the bout with Brinchitis I got one that disassembles. The original had an aluminum base and had what looked like corrosion starting in the bottom after almost a year of use. Vinegar did not clean it. The new one that disassembles has a stainless base. I rinse the resivoir every 3 days and disassemble the resivoir on cleaning day and wash it along with the masks. If I see anything floating around in the resivoir that does not rinse out I go ahead and disassemble it and clean it with warm water and Dawn instead of waiting for cleaning day.
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