How To Prevent Skin Irritation From CPAP Masks
Continuous positive air pressure (CPAP) machines are essential for people with sleep apnea. The CPAP machine helps in pushing air through the respiratory airway all night long. Hence, it prevents apnea episodes, where breathing tends to pause at times. However, wearing a CPAP face mask could be quite irritating for the wearer. CPAP skin irritation is more prominent in patients with sensitive skin. Such patients often experience sores, blemishes, redness, rashes, and blisters. All these skin conditions are painful and irritating.
How to prevent CPAP mask skin irritation?
Wondering how to prevent CPAP mask skin irritation? Here are some easy-to-follow tricks to help you minimize irritation from wearing a CPAP sleep mask:
- CPAP mask is too tight
If a patient starts experiencing red marks on their face, it means that their face mask may be ill-fitted. When a mask is too tight, it may lead certain parts of your mask to dig into the face while sleeping. This causes marks, chafing, and irritation on the skin. For those who are new to CPAP therapy, it’s vital to spend a certain time learning how to adjust a mask properly and fit it correctly.
- Replace CPAP supplies regularly
Patients need to replace their CPAP supplies regularly as per their replacement schedule. If you don’t want to go through the hassle of remembering to buy new masks, filters, tubing, etc., it’s best to sign up for a prescription program. As per a prescription program, CPAP supplies get shipped to their home regularly.
- Check the materials used to make a mask if you have a sensitive or allergic skin
For people with allergic or sensitive skin, skin irritation from CPAP headgear is quite common. Sometimes you may have an allergy to the materials present in the mask. Certain mask cushions consist of silicon, which many people can tolerate. However, certain people may have silicone allergy. In that case, you need to look for a mask made from materials that are friendly to sensitive skin.
- Keep the CPAP machine and its accessories clean
Poor hygiene is one of the very common reasons for CPAP mask irritation. Since you often wear your CPAP mask, you need to wash it regularly. If you don’t clean it properly, bacteria or more harmful microorganisms can build up on it. This can further lead to unwanted skin reactions.
When cleaning your CPAP mask, you can use the following techniques:
- Use mild soap and water for cleaning
- Use a special CPAP mask cleaning wipes
- Invest in UVC (UltraViolet Light C) Cleaners
Here, we’ll discuss UVC cleaners in detail:
UV-based cleaners, like Lumin multi purpose sanitiser and CPAP cleaner machines, use UV light technology to eradicate germs, bacteria, or viruses from CPAP accessories, like masks, tubes, and humidifier chambers.
The exposure to UVC light at 254nm disables bacteria and viruses. This means that you can quickly clean your sleep mask without the need for time-consuming cleaning processing using soap and water.
Note: You need to use a specific wavelength of UVC light for cleaning equipment and operate it for a specific duration.
How Often To Clean CPAP Parts
The manufacturers of CPAP equipment often suggest indulging in regular cleaning of CPAP parts. They recommend washing out the mask, tubing, and humidifier chamber at least once a week. Washing hoses and masks daily is a good way to keep them free from germs, bacteria, or other harmful microorganisms.
If a patient is sick, it’s best to daily wash the CPAP equipment to avoid the spreading of infections. Many manufacturers and websites even say that cleaning CPAP parts doesn’t need any excessive effort or time, or expensive equipment.
Nonetheless, it’s vital to know that when CPAP parts come in contact with water, there’s a higher risk of developing harmful mould, bacteria, and viruses if you don’t dry them completely. And, washing and air drying take a good amount of time.
That’s why you need to rely on quick and highly-efficient Lumin Sanitiser to keep your CPAP parts clean. This portable UV machine for home can kill 99.9% of bacteria, germs, viruses, and mould without any hassle or spending too much time. Hence, it’s a great modern-day solution to prevent skin allergies caused by dirty CPAP accessories. For further information, explore Lumin’s website.