If you have ever wondered what the heck is heated tubing and is the Vendor trying to just upsell me something useless……. then this blog is for you!!!
Many people who have used CPAP for most of their life know that 25-30 years ago you were lucky to even buy a CPAP that had a humidifier built in into it. Therefore, many just had no moisture/humidity with their therapy. For most, it was intolerable, so the CPAP ended up on the top closet shelf in your home and not used.
ADP (which is the Ontario government agency who pays 75% of the cost of your CPAP unit) realized funding money was being spent to decrease health care costs of diabetes and hypertension, and also to combat heart attacks and stroke, but without this comfort measure being incorporated into the unit it was wasted and not used. Therefore, they made a change to the criteria REQUIRING humidification, and the manufacturers responded, and now all funding approved CPAP units must have either an incorporated or an add-on humidifier. Massive change for those airways that had gotten used to no humidity added.
When we add humidity into the tubing one may have the issue of different sleeping conditions/temperatures in a room. The non-heated tubing that comes with your device is subject to the ambient room temperature.
Those of you who love a desktop or ceiling fan on all night blowing in their face (even in -30 degree weather outside!), or have a window open, or their humidifier always on high – all can attest to water accumulation in their tubing! The call I will get as a clinician is “there is popping sound coming from my machine and it needs to be changed” or “my face is wet, and my mask can’t seal well”. These are all signs that YOU should purchase some ClimateLine or heated tubing for your system. Whether your insurance covers it or not, it is for your comfort and to eliminate the water accumulation throughout the tubing. There is even a thermostat found at the end of your tubing as feedback to the system as the temperature fluctuates in your room. The added bonus is it decreases bacteria accumulation in the tubing as well since water is not sitting in pools in pockets of the tubing. The heated wire that is found the length of the tubing can be adjusted to your comfort through your device’s options menu. Ask your clinician today how you can do that adjustment yourself. Keeping the system in automatic mode allows automatic adjustments of tubing temperature by the device throughout the night. Those suffering with hot flashes, or that cannot handle too much heat can always turn down the temperatures or turn off the heated component at any time…like those HOT summer nights.
These upgraded items are beneficial to anyone who needs them – just ask your provider to purchase one today and watch your therapy hours improve! Also, your insurance will usually help to reimburse you for this cost for new tubing along with filters, and water chambers once a year; and usually masks twice a year.
There is so much to learn about your CPAP and how it can better perform for you. Never miss out on asking a Health Care Professional at Ontario Sleep Care how you can get better comfort on your CPAP/BIPAP or AUTOPAP unit today!
Sandra Persaud BSc, RRT, CAE
Sleep Clinician
Ontario Sleep Care
106-611 Holly Ave, Milton ON L9T0K4
P: 289-851-8115
F:905-878-0660
[email protected]