WARNING: You must replace your mask and tubing every month

[Stormynights]

So, outside air blows across all sorts of un-sterile dirty surfaces, passes over scum filled ponds and ditches, circulates through air conditioning ducts that haven't been cleaned in decades, and carries the airborne fecal particles of a fart to your nose, but filtering it, passing it over distilled water, and pushing it through a clean plastic hose should make you fear for your health????

Thanks, now I am going to be thinking about airborne fecal particles every time I smell a fart.

[Joe_0206]

Now THAT'S always a possibility

[Stevoreno_55]

I heard on the news that CPAP tubing needs to be replaced every month to avoid contracting respiratory disease because of bacterial growth. Granted, the news probably isn't the best source, especially since disease "scare" stories boost ratings by driving viewer engagement, and it seems like there are a lot of ulterior motives for incentivizing excessive periodic replacement of costly medical equipment.

What are your thoughts on the issue? How often do you replace your equipment? Is it even necessary if you wash/clean the equipment periodically? How often do you clean your mask and tubing? Do you use a tube brush to do so? What other cleaning supplies do you use?

That's news to me; I'd like your news source. I don't know of an insurance company that will agree to pay for a new mask every month; some will pay for new tubing every month but if you are doing it on "self pay" and can afford to do it good for you. I replace my mask and it's headgear and my hose every 6 months; I rinse my mask and my hose out daily and clean all of them with a mild soap detergent like Dawn once a week. I rinse my water chamber out every day and also clean it with a mild soap detergent like Dawn once a week. I didn't always clean my water chamber every week but when I began seeing particles floating around in the water I decided to clean it with Dawn every week.


Stevoreno_55
MS Gulf Coast
04/14/14

[49er]

Do not, ever, expect quality reporting from a local source.
Our local paper has been a standing joke for many years. Not only do they hire people who can't spell and
have limited vocabulary, they are generally are too lazy to conduct adequate research.
Their accuracy is hit or miss. They frequently misspell names or get the facts wrong.
One of the local TV stations is an even bigger joke.
I've seen the evening news read by an extremely inebriated announcer--most entertaining broadcast ever.
For years, network has provided impossible goals for these ninnies.
Lately, though, the online news has degraded to the point one may wonder who one needs to sleep with to get such a job.
Journalism used to be an art--now it's just another lousy job--for what it's worth.

As one who used to be a big fan of journalism, I couldn't agree more with you CF. I knew someone who worked as a newspaper reporter several years ago and he was horrified at the quality of what he said tried to pass for journalism. He was outraged and rightfully so in my opinion.

49er

[ironhands]

I heard on the news that CPAP tubing needs to be replaced every month to avoid contracting respiratory disease because of bacterial growth. Granted, the news probably isn't the best source, especially since disease "scare" stories boost ratings by driving viewer engagement, and it seems like there are a lot of ulterior motives for incentivizing excessive periodic replacement of costly medical equipment.

What are your thoughts on the issue? How often do you replace your equipment? Is it even necessary if you wash/clean the equipment periodically? How often do you clean your mask and tubing? Do you use a tube brush to do so? What other cleaning supplies do you use?

All I can say is "f that"

I'm not dropping $300 a month on a new mask/hose (though if we were consuming that number of masks the cost would come down I'd assume).

There's no reason at all that you'd need to replace a mask or tube that frequently. If bacterial growth is that much of a concern, just sterilize the hose with steam. Think about hospital equipment, how much of that is re-used and sterilized on a regular basis. I wipe my mask every other day and rinse my tube once a month right now. I should do it more, I know, but the treatment still hasn't been effective for me and I'm just too tired to do it more often. TBH I'd worry more about bacterial growth on a hose that's washed regularly than one that isn't, depending on your humidity settings. Depending on how it's left to dry, more water could end up sitting to dry. Was wondering about leaving the machine running "dry" for a few hours to dry out the hose, but that's not advisable, is it? If not, sounds like a great project for someone to make - hose sterilizer, if someone hasn't made one already. Forces hot steam through the hose for 10 minutes, then a 30 minute dry cycle or something.

[archangle]

There are people out there selling quack CPAP cleaning devices spreading FUD. (Fear Uncertainty and Doubt.)

Sounds like some local pinhead reporter getting bamboozled or just looking for something to sensationalized.

[chunkyfrog]

Considering the low standards of some journalists, and the frequent thinly disguised "press releases"
for a certain cpap cleaning device--is it possible that currency has been changing hands?
Oh, nooooooo!

[zoocrewphoto]

I am still using my first hose, and my 2 year anniversary will be April 30. I have a second hose, but I haven't opened it yet. I got it last year. I have allergies and asthma. I haven't had any lung infections or anything bad. I had a bad cough that was due to asthma, but once that cause (spilled fertilizer that was not cleaned up well) was determined, it cleared up with medication.

[Goofproof]

Considering the low standards of some journalists, and the frequent thinly disguised "press releases"
for a certain cpap cleaning device--is it possible that currency has been changing hands?
Oh, nooooooo!

Payola, play that song again Sam! Jim

[ubnoxus]

I don't know of an insurance company that will agree to pay for a new mask every month

Insurance covers a new mask monthly for me and my wife but no need to get one that often.

[Jeannh]

Wow- most insurance mimics Medicare at most , which is a mask every 3 months, and pillows or cushions 2x/month.

[redcat]

djhall, unless you are hanging around people who fart when they are naked, I really doubt there is fecal matter from a fart floating around in the air. I believe that the underwear and other clothing would contain the minuscule amount of fecal matter expelled with a fart (if you are expelling a lot you should be going to the bathroom, not farting, and I'd hate to be washing your underwear!). With that said, as long as you take care of your mask and tubing and rinse/wash them daily and hang to dry the recommended time for new is 6 months and like some have said, it is possible to go longer than that.

[dadbar1]

Ha ha ha this is all very funny.

Looks like the PR arm of a mask vendor is creating their own revenue enhancement program.

I've been on cpap since 2001 and only wash my stuff when it gets grungy....roughly every month or two....so I must be long dead.

[john844]

I used my last hose for 8 years and my last mask lasted for 7 years. The mask when replaced was still working fine just needing a new liner (6 years old) and headgear (6 years old). I would still be using the hose if I hadn't replaced the machine and received a new one with it.

Thanks,
John

[Janknitz]

What are your thoughts on the issue?

Must have been a REALLY slow news day!