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Today's Clinician

Sarah Knight

Sarah has been a Registered Respiratory Therapist for 17 years. Sarah came to Apria over a year ago when she realized that she wanted more of a relationship with her patients than is possible in a hospital setting — and she's been serving Apria's patients in Northwest South Carolina ever since! When she's not at work, Sarah enjoys reading, traveling, and watching the Atlanta Braves with her husband.

Q. I think I need to replace my mask cushion, how do I confirm that or not? What should I check for?

A. Depending on what kind of mask you use, Apria recommends replacing the cushion once or twice a month. If you visually inspect the cushion and it is discolored, has signs of wear and tear such as pinholes or small tears, or is misshapen, it is time to replace. When using the mask if it has lost is “spring,” does not fit as well as it used to, or you are constantly readjusting the straps then it is time to replace. If you are experiencing a higher than normal leak or more dry mouth, it is time to replace.

Q. I will wear my CPAP all night and in the morning my stats say I only wore it for an hour or so. What is happening and how do I correct this?

A. There are a few things that could be happening here. The easiest thing to check is that your machine is plugged in and turned on, and NOT in airplane mode.

The second are masks issues. The mask may need to be replaced if it is ill-fitting or worn out and causing a leak. If the mask is in good condition, and properly fit, the straps may need to be adjusted to ensure proper placement and “snugness” to reduce mask movement and leaks.

Some people while sleeping will unintentionally remove their mask. If you are waking up and your mask is not on your face, then your machine could be correct that you only used the CPAP for an hour. Also, if you wake up and your machine is off, you may have an auto off feature which will shut off when you remove your mask. In those cases, the auto off feature would shut your machine off. If this is happening, I would recommend you turn off the auto off feature from the machine to prevent this from occurring. You will have a better chance of waking up if the unit doesn’t shut off, and you can re-apply the mask to continue therapy. You could also try to wear gloves to prevent you from removing the mask at night.

Q. My mask fits well and I have heated tubing with the humidifier set to 4, but I still wake up with a dry, sore throat. What can I do to fix this?

A. If you have a nasal mask, make sure that you are not sleeping with your mouth open. You can use a chin strap if necessary to help keep your mouth closed. After this has been addressed, the humidity and temperature settings on the CPAP and tubing can be adjusted to find the optimal balance to provide moisture and prevent rainout in the tubing. Once this setting has been reached, if dry mouth still persists you can try a room humidifier to provide extra moisture and increase ambient humidity. It is also important to stay well hydrated as dehydration can lead to increased dry mouth.

For more information: CPAP dry mouth