Top 10 Accessories Every CPAP User Should Try

If you are a CPAP user, you already know that there are plenty of accessories available meant to make your life easier and your treatment more comfortable. The market is abounding in such accessories, and many users buy highly marketed accessories just to find out these are not compliant with their therapy, or that they do not offer greater comfort levels. So which are those CPAP accessories that every user should try in order to enjoy a more comfortable and efficient CPAP therapy? Whether you are looking to solve discomfort, irritations, dryness, leaks or you just need to enjoy an even more comfortable therapy, check out the accessories below. You might find something that will help you enjoy better therapy on all levels.

1. Heated CPAP Tubing

This heated tube helps distributing heated air comfortably at the exact desired temperature to your mask. Regardless of the type of CPAP machine that you use, you will definitely find a compatible heated tube. These tubes help you enjoy a consistent humidified temperature for more efficient and comfortable oxygen therapy sessions. The heated tubing helps maintaining the warm temperature of the air as it will travel from the humidifier chamber and up to your mask.

By using a heated tube, you will avoid irritation and dryness of the oral and nasal passages, as well as dryness of your mouth. The heated tube will improve the efficiency of the entire humidification system. Especially if you struggle a lot with irritations and dryness, such a heated tube is the best choice.

2. Mask Liners

The mask liners are extremely soft and comfortable fabrics. These help to create a certain barrier between the lining of the mask and your skin. The role of the mask liner is to absorb excess oils from your skin, help prevent leaks, and preventing irritations/red marks caused by the pressure of the mask touching your skin. Depending on the type of CPAP that you use, there are many types of mask liners you can choose from. It takes only a small investment to keep at bay several issues.

3. Mask Gels

There are special gels available that help to create a thin barrier between the lining of the make and your skin. Such a gel also works as a leak sealer, by making your mask fit much better. The gel helps to create a seal around the mask and this will reduce air leaks, irritation in the nose and offer you a much quieter and restful night of sleep. Most of the gels contain all-natural ingredients such as Aloe Vera gel and this will help moisturizing and protecting our skin. Wake up refreshed and reinvigorated without red marks and irritations on your face.

4. CPAP Pillows

A CPAP pillow is a special type of pillow designed for patients who use CPAP therapy. These pillows come with a cutout design in order to accommodate the mask and also the hose parts of your CPAP. The CPAP pillows are mostly recommended for stomach and side sleepers, who find it extremely difficult to accommodate their mask while sleeping in such positions. Please keep in mind there is a huge difference between a CPAP friendly pillow and a CPAP bed pillow.

• A CPAP bed pillow has irregular shapes, with side cutouts on both sides. These cutouts will create the perfect ambient for the mask and the hose.
• CPAP bed pillows with curbed bottoms help maintaining the neck and the shoulders of the user is in the right position during sleep.
• Some CPAP bed pillows even feature a hose stabilizer. This will help reducing the pressure and pulls on your mask as you move around during the night.

5. Hose Holders

Does the tubing often become tangled creating a lot of discomfort? Maybe you should invest in a hose holder in order to regain your freedom of movement during the night without any tangles and pulls on your mask. A hose holder is a cheap yet highly efficient accessory that helps to support the tubing up and away from you at all times. Regardless of your position, most of these hose holders will compactly fold for better storage.

6. CPAP Sanitizers

It is extremely important to keep your CPAP accessories not only clean but also perfectly sanitized. Luckily, there are many types of CPAP sanitizers available. These will help disinfect all the parts of your CPAP within a few minutes, Some sanitizers use Ozone, while others use UV light in order to sanitize the accessories. The machines are very compact, user-friendly, and highly efficient. For example, the Lumin CPAP sanitizer helps eliminate up to 99.9% of all the viruses, bacteria, and pathogens residing within your mask or tubing. You just need to place the accessories in the drawer of the sanitizer, press the start button and in less than 5 minutes you can enjoy perfectly sanitized and disinfected accessories.

7. Mask Wipes

Dirty and oily CPAP mask cushions can cause a lot of problems such as leaks, irritators, and in general a very uncomfortable therapy session. Also, the main unit collects dust, dirt and germs on the outside from daily use. You can keep all these accessories clean and disinfected with one single wipe using special mask wipes. These wipes are very comfortable to you, and they will help you keep your mask clean and degreased and your main cpap unit free from dust and allergens. You can keep these mask wipes by your bedside and ensure to wipe clean any surface of your CPAP whenever needed.

8. Nasal Pads

Especially if you are new to CPAP therapy, you might experience discomfort at the nasal bridge as you try to become accustomed to wearing a mask. Also, long time CPAP users with sensitive skin struggle with skin irritations and rashes at the nasal bridge area. The nasal pads represent a very good solution and they will help you adjusting to your therapy quicker and more comfortably. Nasal pads help to prevent skin irritation and facial sores, minimize mask leaks and improve overall mask comfort. For patients struggling with sealing and skin sensitivity issues, these pads represent the best solution.

9. CPAP Travel Briefcases

If you are a frequent traveler, you should definitely invest in a CPAP travel briefcase. This accessory will help you organize nicely all your CPAP accessories for quick and easy use. These briefcases come with special compartments meant to accommodate the tubing, your CPAP wipes, the mask, batteries and other accessories. Do not just throw all your accessories together with your clothes in a regular briefcase. This way you will have troubles accessing your important CPAP accessories need for therapy.

Many briefcases also have a special compartment for fitting your traveler or even your laptop. This way, you will have handy all the important items that you need during travel.

10. CPAP Power Adapters & Batteries

Frequent traveling with a CPAP can easily become a nuisance if you do not have all the handy accessories. Whether you are a frequent flyer or traveling cross country for camping, you must ensure that you have all the necessary accessories that allow you to enjoy therapy wherever you are. Make sure to get a DC power cord that you can plug into the cigarette lighter in your car. In case the cigarette lighter is not functional, you can get a battery cable adapter and easily connect it directly to a power source. Purchase international power adapters in case you travel frequently to Europe. You cannot even imagine the importance of these extra batteries, adapters and power cords until you need them.

They require a small investment only, and they will help you enjoy the most comfortable therapy wherever you are. You can also purchase portable battery packs for your CPAP in case you even plan to camp in a spot where you will not have access to electricity.

As you can easily note, there are plenty of accessories for your CPAP that indeed help you enjoy a more comfortable and compliant therapy. You do not necessary have to purchase all of them. Simply think about what type of issues you mostly encounter while getting CPAP therapy and purchase only those accessories. Also, these CPAP accessories are not at all expensive, excepting the CPAP sanitizer for example which requires a slightly higher investment.

Oftentimes you might think that you have to replace the mask or the entire CPAP unit, when in fact you can solve the problem by getting a heated tube accessory or some mask liners to prevent leaks and irritations. You can purchase all these accessories online, and you can read in detail the specifications of each accessory before buying. You are also welcome to comparison shop and ensure that you purchase those accessories that best suit your needs but also your available budget.

These CPAP accessories are meant to make your entire life easier and your therapy much more comfortable and clean. CPAP equipment manufacturers constantly come up with innovations in the field of accessories, so keep a constant eye on what’s new and think of how that respective accessory could help you enjoy an even beer CPAP therapy.