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Your therapy system is most likely made up of a mask, tubing, therapy device and humidifier.
Take a look at your therapy system to see if you can identify all the parts.
Your device produces a regulated flow of pressurised air at a setting that suits your particular needs. This consistent flow of air keeps your airways open so that you don’t stop breathing at night (or have an “apnoea”).
The air travels through the tubing and is delivered to a mask that you wear around your nose and/or mouth, where you breathe it in.
(Note: this is the general description of positive airway pressure for obstructive sleep apnoea (OSA). The delivery is the same for other conditions but the aim is not only to keep the airway open.)
Knowing what to do (and what not to do) when setting up your equipment can make all the difference to your treatment. Find out how to get the right setup. Setting up your equipment
Most masks fall into one of these categories:
– Nasal mask (covers your nose)
– Nasal pillows (sit at your nostrils)
– Full face mask (covers your mouth and nose)
Can you identify which one you have?
Finding the right mask for you
All vented masks are designed with a vent that allows some air to escape so that the carbon dioxide you exhale doesn’t build up inside your mask and you do not breathe it back in.
If you put your hand near the vent, you can feel the air flow. You should never block the vent in any way.
Humidifiers help prevent some of the side effects sometimes associated with positive airway pressure therapy, such as:
– A dry mouth and/or nose
– A blocked nose
– Breathing through your mouth rather than your nose
Humidifiers help by moistening and warming the air that’s fed into your mask, so that it’s easier and more comfortable to breathe in. If you don’t have a humidifier, talk to your care provider about getting one.
Learn about ResMed’s H5i™ heated humidifier
Tubing comes in different diameters and lengths, and may be heated or non-heated, depending on your system.
Your tubing should make it easy for you to move around freely in your sleep. ResMed’s SlimLine™ tube is narrow and light, so gives you a lot of freedom to move.
Heated tubing, like ResMed’s ClimateLine™, can make using a humidifier even more comfortable, because air is kept warm as it travels from the device to your mask.
Your device has a filter (usually located at the back of the device) that needs changing from time to time.
Check your User Guide for instructions on when and how to change the filter.
Your SD card stores details about your therapy usage, so that your care provider can assess how you are going with it, and if the therapy settings are treating your condition effectively.
If you have an S9 device, your SD card is located just above the filter.
For all other devices, please refer to your user guide or SD protective folder for instructions on how to insert/remove the SD card.
How can I find the mask best suited to my face and lifestyle? Just like people’s faces, masks come in different shapes and sizes.
Tips and guidelines to set up your therapy equipment correctly.
It’s important to continue therapy even if it’s difficult to get used to at first. Once you start to feel the benefits, you’ll never look back.
Middle-East (English)