Learning that you have sleep apnea is an understandably frightening experience. First you’ve got to work up the courage to see your doctor about your snoring and daytime sleepiness. Then you have to come to terms with the truth: you’ve been experiencing breathless periods while you sleep every single night. Worst of all, you’re at risk for developing all sorts of grave health conditions like kidney disease and diabetes. Your health care practitioner has likely told you that you’ll need a CPAP machine to treat your condition, but after hearing your diagnosis, your head is swirling.
Start by Narrowing Your Choices
Let’s face it, being told that you’re responsible for choosing your own medical equipment sort of feels like you’re being told to go repair one of NASA’s rockets, unless your a rocket scientist, of course. Never fear, it’s not as daunting as it seems.
Start your search by deciding whether or not you’d prefer a standard CPAP machine or an auto-titrating CPAP. The difference between these two choices is that the standard equipment will remain at the pressurized air level during the entirety of sleep. An auto-titrating, or APAP machine, will instead determine the pressure setting necessary to treat your sleep apnea optimally every night. Some feel that this auto-titration mechanism is a luxury, but others say that they wouldn’t go without it.
Then, decide what options are most important to you. Would you like your CPAP to have the option to record your breathing data and display your progress on your smartphone? There are plenty of applications made to do just that with the right machine. How compact should your CPAP machine be? Small enough for travel or just the right size for your bedroom? Finally, determine your price range and what your insurance is willing to cover.
Shopping for a CPAP System Locally
When shopping for your CPAP machine, you might first stop at your local medical supply store. There, they’ll likely have less options than you might find online and will probably be more expensive, but you’ll be able to look at the machine itself and get a feel for what sleep apnea treatment looks like. When you visit a sleep apnea supply store in person, you’ll likely be invited to try on several CPAP mask options to find which suits you best. Many stores have staff available to help measure and choose your best mask option.
Online CPAP Shopping
Often a lot cheaper than local supply stores, online CPAP companies are able to offer a much wider variety. If you’ve got specific needs to be addressed, such as requiring a small pediatric sized sleep apnea mask, you’re likely to find that on any reputable online store.
The two biggest problems with online shopping is that you won’t be able to try on any masks before purchasing them and the fear of spending your hard earned money on a scam website. Breatheeasycpap.com is an online CPAP supply company that manages to make both of these issues moot. On top of offering thousands of cost effective products, their staff is available by phone or email to answer any of your sizing questions. Because they’re a small company created and staffed by health care professionals, you can rest assured knowing that they’re trustworthy and in the business for all the right reasons. The health care professionals at Breatheeasycpap.com are passionate about getting your therapy started. After your sleep apnea diagnosis, let them assist you in understanding your insurance options and CPAP purchasing needs.
