Risks of frequent travel with CPAP

#1: Attaching and detaching the hose from the machine so often significantly decreases its lifespan.

#2: At some point, you're bound to hit the SD card, popping it out but not removing it from the machine. Then when you go to check your data, you realize that the card has not been engaged for 3 weeks and you have no recent data. Oops. Guess I need to be more careful about that one.

I'm traveling for the first time with my machine next weekend. Thanks for the timely reminder to check everything before I go and when I get back! I wouldn't have thought about the data card until I tried to read the data and found nothing.

Teri

Wipe a little glycerine on the connecting surfaces and the hose will slip off and on easier.

cowlypso wrote:#1: Attaching and detaching the hose from the machine so often significantly decreases its lifespan.

#2: At some point, you're bound to hit the SD card, popping it out but not removing it from the machine. Then when you go to check your data, you realize that the card has not been engaged for 3 weeks and you have no recent data. Oops. Guess I need to be more careful about that one.

This is not true for me. I detach my hose at least 2 x a day and my hoses last well over a year. I detach and re-attach from the cpap when I get up to go to the bathroom at night and detach and re-attach from the mask when I get up in the morning I think I can afford $10 for a new hose yearly.

You are assuming that everyone uses an SD card.....I don't check my data.

I have never had a problem. The SD card is rather hidden. As far as the hose. Never had a problem getting it off and on. I travel a good bit.

You can disconnect/reconnect ten times a day and unless you really crank on the fittings, hose connections won't break. I have had the same hose for five years now, disconnect two or three times a night, and when I go to bed and when I get up in the mornings. There's not even any scuff marks where they fit together. I would say hose breakage due to disconnecting/connecting just is not a worry. Just my opinion tho. I suppose one could REALLY crank down on it and break it if they wanted to.

It wasn't the fittings that broke. The hose itself cracked around the fitting, from being bent when I pulled the fittings apart. So I guess the moral is to be very careful not to bend the hose where it meets the fitting when you are attaching and disconnecting your hose.

My machine emits a continuous beep when the card is not inserted properly.

I've been using my current hose for two years - through many business trips and even when at home I separate it from the machine and store it in the drawer every day. I do carry a spare hose on trips in case anything punctures the first one.

I travel a fair bit with cpap and have never experienced the problems that you've noted.

It sounds as though your hose problems might be the result of improper handling. I've been using the same hose for about 3 1/2 years. I disconnect it from both hose and mask every morning! The hose looks "good as new".

For the record, I always carry a spare hose and spare mask when traveling. (These items get packed into my checked baggage). I've never needed to break out either one of them.

you can wrap tape around the hose and the coupling at the place where they join and it will prevent the hose from splitting there. electrical tape works great. The hose doesnt bend and split off at the the joint

I have traveled some with mine since first starting on it in May this year and have had no major problems. The only problem I have had with a hose was a couple of weeks ago when it began to leak near the end where it goes into the connection and since I was away from home I just picked up some duct tape (the handy man’s secret weapon) and put a couple of turns around it. It seemed to work all right until I was able to replace it several days later. The hose that sprang a leak was fairly new and APRIA replaced it for free (the only thing I ever got from them for free) but I have two others that I have had since I first started using a CPAP last May and they have also traveled some with no problems. I just roll them up and there is a compartment in the CPAP case that came with the unit that holds the hose nicely. They seem to be fairly tough so I don’t think I would loose much sleep worrying about it. If it is a concern think about taking a spare along when you do travel.

As for the SD card, when I was at my sleep doctor last week they forgot to replace the card and I picked it up this morning. The CPAP machine stored the information that had accumulated for a week was put back onto the SD card after they reinserted it into the machine with no data loss. The technician at NJ said these units retain the information for about a year (at least this brand does).

pax
Roger

Speaking of traveling with the CPAP machine, has anyone had troubles getting through security with it in your carry on luggage? Just wondering! Going to be traveling for the first time I have had the machine and just curious if they ever give you any grief.

Thanks!

Frequent flier. Never had any problems. A few times they checked it for explosives but each time the agents seemed to be bored and just going through the routine.

My Cpap/bpap travels alot.
As a airline Employee and Crewmember I average about 30,000 miles per month.
Just remove machine from case and place in tray at security.
I use bottled water when i travel.
The TSA and Airlines know what CPAP machines are.
I always stow my machine under a seat.

You can find more info at http://www.tsa.gov
or your favorite Airlines Website.

Sparky7

It took me a while to figure out the correct way to take the hose off, but I've never damaged a hose, mask, or connector by taking it off. Grab the rubber hose end by the thick part and pull it off by angling it sideways. Think of the motion you would use if you were trying to break a pencil in half. Don't pull straight, don't twist like you're unscrewing it. You want to get one side to break loose first and then it will be easier.

I remove the hose from the mask several times a day. By the way, I just bought 3 new hoses for $16 from an ebay sellers.