EssentialAir CPAP

Hello Everyone! I know it’s been a long time but exciting things are in the works here at EssentialAir CPAP! Continue to check in during the next couples months to find out what we’ve been doing. . . .... If you read my last post in July, I said that I would discuss sleep next. This is so important! I always spend a little extra time with my patients during our initial appointments to make sure that they understand the importance of sleep. It’s not just about the amount of sleep but the amount of GOOD sleep! . . . To start off, there are two basic types of sleep: rapid eye movement (REM) sleep and non-REM sleep (which has three different stages). Each is linked to specific brain waves and neuronal activity. You cycle through all stages of sleep several times during a typical night, with increasingly longer, deeper REM periods occurring toward morning. I will now focus on REM sleep because it is very important. This stage of sleep is most associated with dreaming and the skeletal muscles act as if they are paralyzed - all voluntary muscles, except for the eye muscles, are without movement (prevents you from acting out your dreams). During REM sleep our body secretes important hormones and glucose metabolism in the brain increases which supports short-term and long-term memory and overall learning. Other benefits: energy restoration, cell regeneration, increasing blood supply to muscles, promoting growth and repair of tissues and bones and strengthening the immune system. . . . Now that we understand the importance of cycling through the stages of sleep, here is what happens during sleep apnea. When we stop breathing our brain eventually tells our body to start breathing again which will either completely wake up the individual (sometimes people gasp for air) or some will simply go into a lighter sleep, just enough to trigger a breathing response (most individuals will not even be aware that this is happening - this is why they may think they’re having a full/good night sleep). If you remember from one of my first few posts, I talked about AHI (apnea-hypopnea index). If an individual has severe apnea (> 30 events/hour), this means that they can be woken up hundreds of time per night!! This is called FRAGMENTATION OF SLEEP. If you’re continuously being woken up multiples times a night from your brain telling your body to start breathing again, no wonder some people are so exhausted during the day and have trouble focusing/getting work done! By using your CPAP machine that will keep your airways from collapsing, you will not be disrupted from your normal sleep cycle and some people start to see the benefits right away! . . . I know this is a lot of information so if you have any questions please don’t hesitate to reach out! My next post will explain how CPAP machines work and I will introduce our 3 most popular machines. See more

! . . . Today I would like to discuss what happens to your body when you stop breathing at night and some effects of sleep apnea. First, I found this analogy online that I thought could help explain OSA very well: Imagine trying to drink a milkshake through a paper soda straw. As you suck in, the weak paper straw collapses, and you don’t get any of the milkshake. This collapsing is similar to what happens to people with OSA, but instead of missing out on a m...ilkshake, they don’t get enough air into their lungs. This does not occur with normal breathing during wakefulness because signals from the brain activate the tongue and the muscles surrounding the airway and stiffen the airway. Therefore, air can flow into the lungs uninterrupted. In other words, normal breathing during wakefulness is like drinking the milkshake through a plastic soda straw. . . . At night, when someone is having an event (apnea/not breathing/shallow breathing), not enough air is getting into the lungs so the level of oxygen in the blood falls and the level of carbon dioxide rises (byproduct that our body produces from using oxygen). Because your muscles, tissues or organs need a certain amount of oxygen to survive, the heart will start to beat faster to try and make up for the loss. Eventually your brain will jump in and tell your body to wake up! Most people will not even notice that this is happening and simply fall back to sleep. In severe sleep apnea, this can happen hundreds of time per night. The heart increasing when it is trying to make up for the loss of oxygen is called . This can lead to coronary artery disease, stroke, heart attack, hypertension and even death. I’m not saying this to try and scare anyone, I simply want to show the importance of using your CPAP machine if you have OSA. . . . See picture and keep reading in the comment section to learn more about OSA effects! Stay tuned for my next post on sleep! You don’t want to miss this one because sleep is SO important! #essentialaircpap #obstructedsleepapnea #sleepapnea #cardiovascularhealth #cardiovascularstress #sleep See more

Hello Everyone . . . Sorry it’s taking so long to make an other post, I’ve been busy busy!Today I briefly wanted to explain what the Apnea-Hypopnea Index (AHI) is. You should now have a better understanding of what OSA is but if you’re still not sure please check out my last post and/or visit the ResMed website (https://www.resmed.com//snoring-sleep/what-is-sleep-apnea/). ... . . . The Apnea-Hypopnea Index (AHI) is a scale that measures sleep apnea severity. It is considered an apnea when you stop breathing for 10 seconds or more and hypopnea when there is a partial loss of breath for 10 seconds or longer (period of shallow breathing). . . . The AHI is the sum of the number of apneas plus the number of hypopneas that occur, on average, each hour. AHI ranges from normal to severe sleep apnea and you can see this scale in the picture. Most premium CPAP machines will now record your AHI at night and you can view the number everyday to make sure it is below 5. If you’re not sure where to see this information on your machine or if you’re not sure if your machine records this don’t hesitate to reach out, I can help answer your questions! . . . Stay tuned, for my next post I will be discussing what happens to your body when you stop breathing at night (during apnea/hypopnea events). #essentialaircpap #sleepapnea #apnea #hypopnea #apneahypopneaindex #cpap #sleepbetterfeelbetter Hope everyone has a nice day! See more

Good Afternoon Everyone! . Last week I asked if you would rather see products or get more education for my next post and was the winner! That makes me very happy because I love learning (and I have 3 degrees to back that up!). I thought that today we can begin with the root of CPAP: sleep apnea. . There are many types of breathing disorders that can occur during sleep. They are called sleep-disordered breathing (SDB). The most popular are ... (OSA), central sleep apnea (CSA), nocturnal hypoventilation and Cheyne-Stokes respiration (CSR). Today I will only focus on OSA because this is the most popular and the main reason why patients end up needing a CPAP machine. . What is obstructive sleep apnea (OSA)? Is it a partial or complete collapse of the upper airway caused by relaxation of the muscles controlling the soft palate and tongue. You can see this in the picture I posted. . Common signs and symptoms of sleep apnea: lack of energy, morning headaches, frequent nocturnal urination, depression, large neck size, excessive daytime sleepiness, nighttime gasping or coughing, gastroesophageal reflux and irregular breathing during sleep (snoring). If untreated, sleep apnea can cause hypertension, diabetes, obesity, coronary heart disease, heart attacks and strokes. I believe that it is very important to understand this so I’ve decided to create a separate post to explain how these outcomes can happen (stay tuned!). . What happens when you have sleep apnea? 1. Air stops flowing: An apnea event is when air stops flowing to your lungs for ten seconds or longer, meaning you stop breathing. 2. Brain sends a signal: Your brain sends a signal to your body to wake up and take a breath. You take a breath and fall back to sleep. 3. Cycle repeats: These apnea events can occur hundreds of times a night and many people with sleep apnea don’t know it’s happening. . I don’t want to give too much information at once because I know it can get overwhelming! My goal is to keep providing you with little pieces of information at a time to make sure you can understand. Please reach out with any questions! @ Regus See more

Hello Everyone! . . . Sorry for being so quiet since last week, I’ve been busy busy! I am very excited about my post today because I will be talking about the SoClean 2! This product is becoming very popular with the pandemic and it can save you a lot of time. ... . . . Cleaning your CPAP machine and supplies on a regular basis is SO important! This will ensure that your device operates at maximum efficiency for a longer time and kill the bacteria/viruses that can cause infections! SoClean uses a cleaning process based on activated oxygen (ozone). The process is very QUICK and SIMPLE. You just need to place your CPAP mask into the chamber, shut the lid and press the start button. After approximately 10 minutes, any mold, bacteria and/or viruses will be eliminated and you can enjoy a clean and fresh CPAP therapy. . . . Benefits of SoClean: - Truly protects your health - Annihilates up to 99.99% of viruses, mold and bacteria residing inside your equipment - All masks compatible with the machine - The sanitizer does not use water or harsh chemicals to thoroughly cleanse and sanitize your CPAP equipment - Automated cleaning and sanitizing process - Complete sanitizing process, hassle free . . . Soon I will be making a video to show you exactly how the set up works so that you can see how simple and time saving it can be! If you have any questions at all you can comment on this post, send a personal message, email or call the clinic. #essentialaircpap #soclean #cpap #cpapcleaning #bacteriaandvirus #cleanequipment See more

. . . Continuing with the theme of safety measures from yesterday, cleaning your CPAP equipment is so important! Bacteria can start to grow very quickly if you do not develop a good cleaning routine . ResMed is a great resource for cleaning tips and I have taken a couple pictures for you to see (https://www.resmed.com//cpap-part/cleaning-cpap-equipment/).... . . . I know this can become very time consuming but I promise that the benefits outweigh the risks! Bacteria buildup can cause respiratory infections and to some this can be life threatening. I hope that being in this pandemic due to a respiratory virus has also made you realize the importance of cleaning your equipment. If ever you have questions about the process please reach out! I will be more than happy to help . . . Finally, if you’re fed up of constantly having to clean your equipment or if you’re looking for a better solution, stay tuned for tomorrow because I will be presenting the SoClean2! . #essentialaircpap #respiratorytherapist #cpapmachine #cpapmask #cpaptherapy #cpapsupplies #cleaningtips #importanceofcleaning @ Regus See more

Today is all about the we’re taking during this pandemic . . . Please watch my story to get a complete version of all the steps we’re taking. Here are the main points that I cover:... PPE we’re using during our apps What we are doing different How we clean between clients What we have stopped doing . . . If you have any thoughts, comments or questions please don’t hesitate to comment on this post! Have a nice day everyone! #essentialaircpap #cpap #cpapmachine #cpaptherapy #cpapequipment #ppe #safetyfirst #safetymeasures #cleanspace See more

to my cozy office . . . If you make an appointment this is where you will be spending most of your time. We’re located at 229 Yonge Street, Unit #400 (just a couple steps North of Yonge and Shuter). Fun fact, Hudson’s Bay used to be located here! I think it is such a beautiful building and this may sound strange but I love the floors. They are original hardwood floors that make cracking noise when you walk! If ever you arrive early to your appointment or would simpl...y like to walk in to purchase/ask questions but we are busy, no problem! There is a nice seating area with comfortable chairs and I would be happy to make you coffee/tea/hot chocolate while you wait . . . We are now open regular hours and are accepting walk-ins: Monday - Friday 9:00am to 5:00pm. If you’re only available during evenings or weekends, give us a call and we can arrange an appointment for you. . . . Check back in tomorrow because I will be doing a virtual tour of the office and showing you what safety measures we are taking during this pandemic! . . . Hope you have a nice evening! #cpap #essentialaircpap #cpapmachine #cpapmask #cpaptherapy #cpapequipment #officespace #welcometomyoffice @ Regus See more

Hello and Welcome to EssentialAir CPAP! . . . My name is Isabelle Grisé and I am the new CPAP clinician and Respiratory Therapist for EssentialAir CPAP. Since I am going to be taking care of the social media accounts (Instagram and Facebook), I thought this would be a great way to introduce myself and give an idea of the information that we will be providing to our followers.... . . . This will allow clients to reach out at anytime with questions or concerns and for us to show what products we have available. Here are a few topics that I will be focusing on in the weeks to come: 1. About Us: Who is EssentialAir CPAP? Why us? What is our mission and vision? 2. The Team: I will present the rest of our team soon. 3. Services: What services do we offer at EssentialAir CPAP? 4. Products/Promotions: I will be showing products that we have available and all promotions that we’re offering. 5. Education: I am most excited about this because I will be taking the time to do education sessions on various topics (OSA, AHI, mask fit, cleaning etc). This will allow clients to get useful information about their machine and supplies without having to do all the research! . . . There are many ways you can reach out to us for inquires, questions or concerns: 1. Instagram: (essentialaircpap) 2. Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/essentialaircpap 3. Email: [email protected] 4. Phone: 416-618-6776 . . . If there is anything specific you would like me to cover during my education sessions or products you would like to see don’t hesitate to reach out! I will be happy to hear from you! . . . If you know anyone who uses a CPAP machine, has problems sleeping due to OSA, loud snoring or would simply like to know more information on this subject please send them a link to our social media pages . . . Have a nice day everyone and hope to hear from you soon! #essentialaircpap #cpap #cpapmachine #cpapmask #cpaplife #cpaptherapy #cpapsupplies #cpapequipment #respiratoryeducation #cpapstore See more