Sleep Apnea Guide

I have sleep apnea and use this blog to provide unbiased info about sleep apnea to create sleep apnea awareness. If you have sleep apnea, it is important to seek treatment.

Study: CPAP Treatment Linked to Lower Mortality in Stroke Patients with OSA

An interesting article about Obstructive Sleep Apnea and strokes just came out. The article says that CPAP treatment reduces mortality risks for people with OSA who have had a stroke.

A researcher quoted in the article also points out that mortality rate increases for OSA patients who have had a stroke but who don't use a CPAP machine. Yet another reason to seek treatment for sleep apnea!

One of the challenges of the future is finding ways to ensure CPAP usage compliance amongst stroke patients with Obstructive Sleep Apnea. It can be a complicated situation.

Read the article for the specifics of the study results. The article has a link to the original scientific research study results.

Traveling with Sleep Apnea Tip #2 - Packing your CPAP like your life depends on it

Traveling somewhere by plane? If you have sleep apnea and use a CPAP for treatment like I do, then I recommend the following tip for airplane travel with a CPAP machine.

"Pack your CPAP machine like your life depends on it."

Going without treatment puts a damper in a vacation and can also have risks. Getting a replacement CPAP quickly will be a challenge while traveling.

I always carry my CPAP and mask in my backpack which I carry the airplane. It gives me comfort. Putting valuables in check-in luggage leaves me with a fear of loss or theft, so carrying it on with me means it never leaves my sight.

Also, realize that CPAP machines are delicate. Protect it in a way as to prevent damage from impact or being crushed. Take care as to avoid letting the buttons or display get damaged.

Put some sort of padding around it. If your CPAP didn't come with a padded travel case, take a look at padded camera bags as an alternative.

Bonus tip: When going through security gates at airports, take your CPAP out of your backpack and put it in a separate bin for scanning (like others do with laptops). Oftentimes, the security team needs to do a quick cotton swab test on CPAPs for some reason. Make it easy for security and they'll be quick.

Traveling with Sleep Apnea Tip #1 - preventing a broken CPAP mask

This tip is for anyone who is using a CPAP machines for sleep apnea treatment. At some point, you will need to travel by airplane with the CPAP machine.

This simple tip will keep you from having a bad travel experience and is based on my own experiences learning the hard way:
  • "When traveling by airplane, pack an extra CPAP mask."
I learned the hard way on a recent trip. I learned that CPAP masks can be too delicate to stand up to the rigors of airplane travel. My CPAP mask broke.

While most CPAP masks are pretty durable, the one point of weakness is at the hinge that connects the upper part of the mask with the lower part of the mask. That's where mine broke.

Luckily for me, part of the hinge remained. I could tape it to keep it in place temporarily.

I thought I had taken every precaution to prevent the CPAP mask from breaking, but I was wrong. I had put the mask at the top of my carry-on backpack but it somehow still broke.

Since a carry-on bag may not have enough room for a back-up mask, put the back-up mask in your check-in luggage. Putting the mask in the middle of clothes in a suitcase gives it protection and is a good place to stash your back-up CPAP mask.

So there you have it, clean out an old mask, stash it in your check-in luggage, and have a great flight.

Bonus Tip: If you don't have an extra CPAP mask because you are new to using a CPAP or you've thrown away old CPAP masks, take extra precautions. Maybe bring some tape or glue in case your mask does break. Superglue may solve some types of mask cracks.

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About this blog

This website aims to create awareness about Sleep Apnea. I'm not a doctor or an expert on Sleep Apnea. If you have questions, please see your doctor.

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