Tag Archives: Philips CPAP Machine Recall Lawsuit

Do you wake up in the morning feeling just as tired as when you

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Do you wake up in the morning feeling just as tired as when you went to sleep? Have you been told that you snore loudly and seem to stop breathing while sleeping? Then it is possible that you are suffering from Sleep Apnea. Read on to find out more about the symptoms and diagnosis for this condition.

What is Sleep Apnea?

Philips CPAC Lawsuit

Sleep Apnoea or as it is more commonly known as Sleep Apnea, is a relatively common problem. It causes broken sleep patterns that usually lead to increased tiredness and decreased awareness in waking hours, morning headaches or a dry throat when you wake up.

The clinical definition of an apnea is a cessation of breath that lasts for at least 10 seconds. The medical condition called “Sleep Apnea” is a condition where sufferers stop breathing and have repeated apneas over extended periods of time while sleeping.

The most common form is Obstructive Sleep Apnea (or OSA) and this is where the airway has collapsed or becomes blocked during sleep. When you try to breathe, any air that squeezes past the blockage usually causes loud snoring which is nearly always associated with OSA. During an apnea, where breathing stops altogether, the concentration of oxygen in your blood drops, as your lungs are not receiving any fresh air or oxygen to replenish your blood in exchange for carbon dioxide, until it reaches dangerously low levels that are low enough to trigger your brain to disturb your sleep. The associated reflex action helps tighten the upper airway muscles and open your windpipe.

Normal breathing then starts again, often with a body jerk, loud snort or choking sound and usually without you even being aware of it having happened.

Factors that are known to increase the risk for OSA include a family history of sleep apnoea, a large neck, a recessed chin, male sex, abnormalities in the structure of the upper airway, smoking, alcohol use, age and excess weight.
Obstructive sleep apnoea happens more often in people who are overweight, but it can affect anyone.

How is Sleep Apnea Diagnosed?

There is no blood or other post event test for diagnosing the condition, and as such it is normally first diagnosed as a result of comments or complaints from your sleeping partners or family who have become concerned about your chronic snoring, choking or gasping during your sleep as well as the extended periods where you stop breathing altogether while asleep.

Sleep Apnea can be a life threatening condition with the reduced sleep quality and the frequent drops in the blood oxygen levels during the apnea triggering the release of stress hormones. These hormones, among other issues, raise your heart rate and increase your risk of high blood pressure and other cardiovascular diseases and associated problems.

Less obvious but more serious medical problems that can be aggravated or caused by the condition include weight gain, impotency, memory lapses, depression, irritable mood swings and personality charges. Sleep apnea could be having a major impact on your life and overall well being without you even being aware of it, in fact it could be ruining your life!

So What Should You Do?

Your partner is worried about your breathing or snoring, you continually feel tired during the day and you suspect that you may have a sleeping disorder, what should you do next?

The first step is to arrange an appointment with your family medical practitioner to discuss your concerns. You practitioner will probably then arrange an appointment for you to see a Sleep Specialist and maybe have a sleep study undertaken.

Prior to your appointment it usually helps to compile a sleep diary for at least a few days or longer if possible with you or more likely your sleep partner recording how you sleep, if you are having trouble breathing during the night, any noticeable gaps in breathing, choking or gasping events, your snoring, how loud it is as well how your sleeping position impacts on it, and how you feel in the morning when you wake up and then during the day.

You should also record any other irregularities that may be noticed such as restlessness or leg movements during sleeping and even periods during the day where you may seem to fall asleep or fell really tired.

Having a visual recording of yourself while sleeping may also be useful to help your Sleep Specialist with their initial diagnosis.

Your Sleep Specialist will normally do an examination of your throat for physical reasons for your snoring and apnea’s as well as to assess your suitability to the various treatment options. If your specialist suspects that you may be suffering from Sleep Apnea they will usually request that you have a sleep study done to record your sleeping habits and manner in a controlled and monitored environment.

This is usually the first step on the path to diagnosis and eventually treatment of sleep apnea. The risks associated with failure to act, if you are a Sleep Apnea sufferer, are too great to ignore and should not be taken lightly. If you suspect that you have a sleep disorder such as Sleep Apnea take steps now, get yourself assessed, it could be a life saving action (yours).

Advances in CPAP Machine Design Provide Smaller, Quieter

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If you have used a continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) device to treat your obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) for any length of time you know that the battle toward smaller and quieter machines has been raging for years. Today, the battle has been won. No more will a CPAP machine be louder than the snoring of the person who uses it. Also, today’s machines are sleeker and much smaller than earlier models while providing advanced features to help all OSA patients better cope with compliance. If you haven’t seen the CPAP machines of today, you are missing out on some great features that can make your CPAP experience more comfortable.

Philips CPAP recall

Manufacturers of CPAP machines like Philips Respironics, ResMed, DeVilbiss Healthcare, and Fisher & Paykel Healthcare have taken great strides in the past few years to produce CPAP machines that are not only technically more capable with features like exhalation relief, data recording, auto titration, and heated humidification but have also made the effort to make CPAP machines look less like obtrusive medical devices and more like household products such as a clock radio. The effort made by manufacturers helps to increase patient acceptance of CPAP therapy and therefore increase patient compliance.

Silent. It’s the best word to describe any major CPAP machine designed in the last year to 18 months. The DeVilbiss Healthcare IntelliPAP boasts a published 26 dBA noise level. If you consider a whisper in a library will register around 30 dBA, you can imagine just how quiet this machine from DeVilbiss is. Can your existing CPAP machine make that claim? Similar newer machines from Respironics and ResMed can certainly claim the same honor in quietness. These new machines are nothing like the freight train sound-alikes from the past.

Features such as exhalation relief and auto titration have helped increase patient acceptance of CPAP therapy. Exhalation relief allows the patient to exhale against an automatically lowered pressure. The CPAP machine recognizes the end of an inspiratory cycle and can reduce the pressure for exhale by up to 3 cm H20. Exhalation relief is offered by most major manufacturers and may be labeled at C-FLEX (Respironics), A-FLEX (Respironics), SmartFlex (DeVilbiss), or EPR (ResMed). Auto-titrating machines, or Auto CPAP or APAP, have recently become more mainstream in the CPAP therapy industry too. Titration can be automatically adjusted by the machine to produce more pressure when needed or less when applicable. Some patients will find that having a set pressure at all times is not necessarily the best therapy. Factors such as alcohol consumption, sleep position, or prescribed medication can affect the way CPAP titration is delivered. An Auto CPAP can make adjustments to the air flow as needed and provide you with the therapy that is required for any given night.

Fisher & Paykel Icon CPAP MachineThe newest machine on the market is from New Zealand-based Fisher & Paykel Healthcare. The new Icon Premo is shaped unlike any previous machine before it with a footprint of only 6.5″ square and includes a forward facing digital clock on the display that makes the entire machine look like nothing more than a simple alarm clock on your bedside table. In fact, it is also an alarm clock with the addition of AlarmTunes allowing you play MP3 files directly from your CPAP machine to start your morning. The features of the machine are far from simple, however. Fisher & Paykel is known for advancements in humidification including ThermoSmart. ThermoSmart Technology, with its unique heated breathing tube, delivers higher, customized humidity levels that are maintained through the night regardless of ambient temperature change. These higher humidity levels help maintain normal airway conditions without the side effect of condensation, or rain-out as it is affectionately called by CPAP patients. The Icon’s humidifier is built into the device with no need for two separate devices any longer. The new Icon is certainly a machine to watch in the industry.

CPAP machines from Fisher and Paykel are some of the most well-known CPAP equipment

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CPAP machines from Fisher and Paykel are very popular in many countries around the globe. Fisher and Paykel have been recognized for providing continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP), therapy products that help relieve obstructive sleeping apnea and prevent temporary closure of the airway during sleep. During CPAP therapy, CPAP machines deliver humidified airflow to patients.

Philips CPAP Machine Recall Lawsuit

Fisher and Paykel offer a variety of CPAP machines and accessories such as humidifiers, pillows and pads. This equipment makes CPAP treatment more effective and more comfortable for patients. Fisher and Paykel machines can be purchased through CPAP clinics and other providers of healthcare equipments, as they are manufactured in New Zealand and Mexico.

The SleepStyle 600 CPAP series by Fisher and Paykel has received a lot of attention. It features ThermoSmart Technology, which allows for optimal humidity to ensure a comfortable sleep. ThermoSmart technology uses a heated breathing tube which allows for higher humidity levels that are independent of ambient temperature changes. To ensure continuous effective CPAP delivery, condensation is prevented. You get the SleepStyle 600 set with a bag, 2 chambers and a heated breathing circuit, water funnel, filter, and a water funnel. This is a fantastic addition by Fisher and Paykel, as many CPAP machines can’t be worn while sleeping.

The HC150 humidifier and accessory range includes a great product, the humidifier with Ambient Tracking. This balances humidity to compensate room temperature fluctuations. It also reduces disruptive condensation. This humidifier can be used with any CPAP machine on the market, ensuring that CPAP treatment is effective in all conditions.

F&P Icon, another excellent product from these machines, comes with a variety of features that make CPAP therapy more effective. These include: ThermoSmart Technology; Auto-Adjusting Pressure; Efficacy Reporting; Compliance Reporting; Smart Stick, SensAwake and Proportional Ram.

These CPAP products are well-known for their customer service and effectiveness. Fisher and Paykel offers warranty and service in many countries. You can also custom order, have home fitting sessions and try the products before you buy. Talk to your doctor if you experience any discomforts such as bleeding, congestion, or high volume from the machine. Also, make sure to check out the accessories.

Advances in CPAP Machine Design Provide Smaller, Quieter, Sleeker Machines

Published by:

If you have used a continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) device to treat your obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) for any length of time you know that the battle toward smaller and quieter machines has been raging for years. Today, the battle has been won. No more will a CPAP machine be louder than the snoring of the person who uses it. Also, today’s machines are sleeker and much smaller than earlier models while providing advanced features to help all OSA patients better cope with compliance. If you haven’t seen the CPAP machines of today, you are missing out on some great features that can make your CPAP experience more comfortable.

Philips CPAP recall

Manufacturers of CPAP machines like Philips Respironics, ResMed, DeVilbiss Healthcare, and Fisher & Paykel Healthcare have taken great strides in the past few years to produce CPAP machines that are not only technically more capable with features like exhalation relief, data recording, auto titration, and heated humidification but have also made the effort to make CPAP machines look less like obtrusive medical devices and more like household products such as a clock radio. The effort made by manufacturers helps to increase patient acceptance of CPAP therapy and therefore increase patient compliance.

Silent. It’s the best word to describe any major CPAP machine designed in the last year to 18 months. The DeVilbiss Healthcare IntelliPAP boasts a published 26 dBA noise level. If you consider a whisper in a library will register around 30 dBA, you can imagine just how quiet this machine from DeVilbiss is. Can your existing CPAP machine make that claim? Similar newer machines from Respironics and ResMed can certainly claim the same honor in quietness. These new machines are nothing like the freight train sound-alikes from the past.

Features such as exhalation relief and auto titration have helped increase patient acceptance of CPAP therapy. Exhalation relief allows the patient to exhale against an automatically lowered pressure. The CPAP machine recognizes the end of an inspiratory cycle and can reduce the pressure for exhale by up to 3 cm H20. Exhalation relief is offered by most major manufacturers and may be labeled at C-FLEX (Respironics), A-FLEX (Respironics), SmartFlex (DeVilbiss), or EPR (ResMed). Auto-titrating machines, or Auto CPAP or APAP, have recently become more mainstream in the CPAP therapy industry too. Titration can be automatically adjusted by the machine to produce more pressure when needed or less when applicable. Some patients will find that having a set pressure at all times is not necessarily the best therapy. Factors such as alcohol consumption, sleep position, or prescribed medication can affect the way CPAP titration is delivered. An Auto CPAP can make adjustments to the air flow as needed and provide you with the therapy that is required for any given night.

Fisher & Paykel Icon CPAP MachineThe newest machine on the market is from New Zealand-based Fisher & Paykel Healthcare. The new Icon Premo is shaped unlike any previous machine before it with a footprint of only 6.5″ square and includes a forward facing digital clock on the display that makes the entire machine look like nothing more than a simple alarm clock on your bedside table. In fact, it is also an alarm clock with the addition of AlarmTunes allowing you play MP3 files directly from your CPAP machine to start your morning. The features of the machine are far from simple, however. Fisher & Paykel is known for advancements in humidification including ThermoSmart. ThermoSmart Technology, with its unique heated breathing tube, delivers higher, customized humidity levels that are maintained through the night regardless of ambient temperature change. These higher humidity levels help maintain normal airway conditions without the side effect of condensation, or rain-out as it is affectionately called by CPAP patients. The Icon’s humidifier is built into the device with no need for two separate devices any longer. The new Icon is certainly a machine to watch in the industry.