The Swift FX was designed with softness in mind.  Its the softest CPAP mask on the market.  With the only hard plastic pieces used to connect the CPAP tubing, there is nothing to leave any pressure marks on your face.  The mask features a silicone headgear that contours to your face as well as the soft cushions you’ve become familiar with from the ResMed Swift line.  And with the optional soft wraps provided with the mask you have the added benefit of  smooth cloth on your cheeks rather than silicone.

This new innovative headgear and tubing is remarkably light, making the mask lighter on your face and much more comfortable to wear.  The lightweight design is uncompromising when it comes to keeping a seal as the mask’s seal will maintain throughout the night, even when you move.  The smooth swivel and light, flexible tube rotate with a fluid movement, adding to your freedom of movement.

Call today to learn more about the Swift FX and get yours today.

Respironics has recently released their next generation of CPAP and BiPAP devices and we’ve got you covered.

The PR System One machines from Respironics retain all the features you have grown to love with the REMstar series but with improvements.  They have changed the humidification system so that there is significantly less rain out while maintaining the desired humidity levels.  This makes the humidification system more efficient reducing the risk of getting water in the machine and, more importantly, fixes many problems patients have had in the past with rain-out.  many patients complain of water in the tubing making noises or splashing their faces, waking them up.  No more; this system trackes changes in the environment around the machine and adjusts it moisture output accordingly.  (See the graph below)

Respironics has also improved the responsiveness of the PR series machines.  These machines can measure the resistance of each Respironics mask and calculate that into the algorithm making the machine more responsive to you and the way you breath; increasing the effectiveness and accuracy of the delivered pressures.  See how it works with an OptiLife mask here

Let us know if you have any questions or want to see if you are eligible to get the new and improved PR System One CPAP and BiPAP machines from Respironics.

The big topic on everyone’s mind regarding CPAP lately has been compliance. Let me explain what compliance is and why it is so important.

So you may be asking “What is compliance?”

Compliance is the measurement of how much you use your CPAP machine and if it is working for you. As far as Medicare is concerned, you are not compliant unless you are using your machine at least 4 hours each night for 70% of the nights. So, if you use your machine 22 days out of 30 for at least 4 hours a night you are compliant. If you use your machine for 3 hours, 59 minutes, and 59 seconds, well, that night you did not use it enough so you were noncompliant.

But wait, there’s more…

For Medicare to accept that you are compliant your physician must say that you are. By simply showing that you use the machine enough either with a download from the machine or by visual inspection of the machine and reading the hours of theraputic use is not enough. You must also visit your doctor within the 30th and 91st day of receving your CPAP machine.

The reason Medicare wants you to go back to your physician is because they want to make sure people are seeing results; that people being treated for Obstructive Sleep Apnea (OSA) are feeling better. They, like the rest of us, want to get something out of their money. And when people use CPAP machines to treat OSA it does make a difference. There have been several studies showing that the medical costs of a patient with OSA drop by about 50% if they are compliant with their CPAP machine.

Why is this important for me?

This is important for you because if you are noncompliant you have three options under Medicare’s new guidelines. Either you pay for the machine out of your pocket, we have to come and pick it up, or you have to go back through another sleep study to determine that you really do need to have the CPAP therapy. Besides that, you will only feel the benefit of the machine if you are compliant. Why use a machine if you don’t feel any benefit and if you body doesn’t show any improvement?

We will work with you to get you through your compliance period and beyond. As a matter of fact Sound Oxygen Service has a compliance rate of over 90%. The industry status quo has shown to have a compliance rate of as little as 40% in some places.

We go the extra mile so you don’t have to

Getting you compliant is what we do. Whether we have to set you up at your home, fit you with a new mask, come and show you how to fit your mask, or come and re-teach how the machine works; we will help you become compliant and get the most out of your CPAP therapy.

The body is an interesting machine. During the day more cells are destroyed than the body can rebuild even without heavy exercise. At night the body shuts down all unneeded activities and goes into REM sleep for several hours. During this time the body is able to rebuild cells faster than they are used up. If for some reason this deep sleep is interrupted or skipped the body gets behind on the rebuilding process. If this non-rebuilding continues the body will show signs that it is not getting fixed by things such as diabetes, high-blood pressure, stroke, or other such maladies.

One cause for this deep sleep interruption is sleep apnea. When the body fully relaxes to go into this REM sleep, the throat muscles relax and close the airway to the lungs. One then cannot breathe. This causes the body to awaken enough to bring one out of deep sleep. If this event occurs often enough during the night the body will not accomplish the rebuilding function.

A CPAP device creates an air stint in the throat to keep the airway passage open throughout the night. This allows the body to go into REM sleep for a period long enough to get the cell rebuilding completed. Millions of people have successfully utilized a CAP device to help them get a good night’s sleep.

Some of the benefits reported by CPAP users are having more energy, weight loss, clear thinking and an improved lifestyle.

All of your CPAP supplies should be routinely cared for and replaced including the mask, headgear, humidifier chamber, filter, and tubing.

Cleaning supplies

Clean all your supplies as recommended by their manufacturer though most have common guidelines. Use a liquid dish detergent without oils or fragrances. Clean the mask cushion daily; the headgear, tubing, and water chamber weekly. Check with your manufacturer on the filters as there are a few different kinds of filters that must be cleaned in different ways. For example, the REMstar Pro by Respironics uses 2 filters, a white disposable fine filter that gets thrown away after it gets dirty, and a dark gray pollen filter that is cleaned every week and the Resmed S8 series machines use a filter that cannot get wet to clean, instead simply remove the dust weekly by “flicking” the filter.

Replacing supplies

Manufactures suggest replacing your CPAP supplies regularly to help maintain cleanliness and effective treatment. Each insurance company will pay for new supplies based on their policies. Here is Medicare’s most current replacement schedule, most insurance companies follow these guidelines but you may want to check with your insurance to verify what their schedule is:

Automatic CPAP supplies

At Sound Oxygen Service we have created a program that keeps your supplies up to date. If you sign up for our Auto-Replenishment program we will contact you when you are due for new supplies. We will call, e-mail, or send a post card depending on your preference; and we will never ship without you knowing about it which will prevent the build up of unwanted or needed supplies that occurs with some other providers. Call us today to set up your Auto-Replenishment with us today.

For several years medical oxygen patients have complained that their oxygen concentrator machine is “too loud” or “too big and bulky”. Sound Oxygen Service has the solution with the EverFloQ Oxygen Concentrator from Respironics and the QuietLife 5 Oxygen Concentrator from Airsep.

Respironics EverfloQ

This concentrator has the same medical oxygen hardware as the EverFlo concentrator but has been improved to reduce its weight and sound level. It only weighs 31 pounds; compare that to some concentrators that can weigh as much at 58 pounds. At a sound decibel of only 40, it is one of the quietest oxygen concentrators around. Most are 50-60 decibels. For reference, a 10 decibel increase doubles the sound! Hear the difference for yourself

Airsep QuietLife 5

This is a quiet concentrator that also reduces energy costs. Using only 285 watts this concentrator will support your oxygen needs up to 5 liters per minute; some concentrators use as much as 585w. This means you will save an average of $10-15 per month on your energy bills. The average decibel output of this machine is < 40 so you save money and your ears. What could be better?

Quiet Oxygen Therapy

Whatever your needs are, let us know, and we can help. Our quiet oxygen concentrators are a convenient way to reduce noise that can keep room-mates and bed partners up at night. If you work in a long-term care facility with many oxygen patients you know how loud it can be to have multiple concentrators running at the same time. Call us for a free assessment of your current oxygen equipment and a demo of our quieter, more efficient concentrators (877-269-0405).

My CPAP Mask doesn’t fit

A good CPAP mask makes all the difference! When you have a comfortable mask that fits properly it is much more likely that you will actually use your CPAP machine for the long-term treatment of Obstructive Sleep Apnea (OSA). A good fitting mask will result in sleeping better, feeling better, and help prevent all the co morbidities that come with OSA such as heart disease, high blood pressure, and fatigue among many others.

How do I fix that pesky leak?

Depending on which mask you have, you will have different adjustments you can make. Some general rules can be followed though:

• Start with the mask at the loose-fitting position (you can and tighten the upper strap just enough so that the mask does not slide down on your face)
• Next, tighten the bottom straps just enough that you can slide 1-2 fingers between the lower straps and your cheeks
• If you have a leak going into your eyes, adjust the top straps or the use the frames upper adjustment
• If you have leaks around the lower portion of the mask, tighten the straps only slightly to try to get a seal
• Ironically, sometimes a mask will leak more when it’s too tight than when it’s too loose

There are many great online resources that will help you fit your particular CPAP mask. Here are some quick links:

Resmed
Respironics
Fisher & Paykel

Mouth Breather VS Nose Breather

Most people will tell me they are mouth breathers when I go to set them up on a CPAP machine for the first time. When I ask how they know, I ask “how do you know you are a mouth breather?” Typically I gen an answer something like this “I wake up every morning with a dry mouth and I snore too”. What most people don’t realize is that you may be a mouth breather because you have Obstructive Sleep Apnea. This does not necessarily mean that you will be a mouth breather while on CPAP.

When there is an obstruction in your upper airway, many who suffer from OSA open their mouths in order to breathe. If you are wearing a CPAP machine your airway will be kept open and you will most likely breathe through your nose. I’d say close to 50% of the people I set up with a full face mask (covering the nose and mouth) later try a nasal mask and find that it works much better.

Pressure can have an impact on mask style

At high pressures masks are going to leak unless they are fit almost perfectly. Some people will go straight to a full-face mask, sometimes I go the opposite route. The reason: contact area. You see, with a full-face mask you have so much skin contact with the cushion that you have more areas for leaks. With a nasal mask (covering only the nose) there is less room for leaks because there is less skin contact. Of course, if you cannot tolerate the nasal mask at higher pressures, by all means we will work with you to find the best solution.

Sound Oxygen Service goes the extra mile so you don’t have to

If you continue to have problems with your mask fit let us know and we will help you find the best mask for you and the best fit with that mask. Remember, we can come to you so you don’t have to make the trip. We can bring several masks to find the best one. The best fit can be in your home where you can lie down, as you will be when going to bed. A good mask fitting experience is what helps Sound Oxygen Service achieve our 90%+ compliance rate.

Dear Customers, Care Givers, and Friends:

Welcome to the new www.soundoxygen.com website! Now we can all sleep, breathe, and live our lives a little better. Okay that might be a bit dramatic, but you get the picture. We’ve redesigned this website with you in mind.

We have always prided ourselves on providing the best customer service, clinical support, and oxygen and CPAP products in Washington State. In fact, our customers consistently rate us “outstanding” on customer surveys and in 2009 over 91% of our CPAP patients were compliant in consistently following their prescribed therapy. Those kinds of positive results and healthy outcomes change lives and save money.

With our website redesign, we’ve made it even easier to do business with Sound Oxygen Service. We’ve added a variety of tools and information in easy to navigate format. Now you can:

• Contact us easier—from phone numbers, location maps, webforms we allow you to reach out anywhere and anytime.
• Learn about our company—along with our mission, see our unique approach to CPAP compliance and Skilled Nursing Facilities.
• Take a Sleep Apnea quiz—if you think you might have Sleep Apnea the Berlin Sleep Questionnaire is something you can share with your doctor.
• Get clinical information—with comprehensive FAQs and links to websites that help you learn more about Sleep Apnea (OSA), CPAP therapy, COPD, and Oxygen Therapy, etc.
• Research products—Learn about portable oxygen concentrators, CPAPs, CPAP masks, quiet stationary oxygen concentrators, etc.
• Make a copayment—making it easier to pay your bill.
• Watch a video—learn about Sleep Apnea and the Evergo portable oxygen concentrator
• Follow our blog—for clinical information, practical advice, and even a good laugh from time to time.

We hope you enjoy the changes to our website. Tell your friends and doctors about us and www.soundoxygen.com!

Breathe easy,

Jeremy Jensen
CEO

PS: Watch for this Evergo Portable Oxygen Concentrator TV Commercial on CNN, Fox News, and The Travel Channel that will be airing from January 18th – March 1st!