Your trusted CPAP specialists

Sleep apnoea occurs when your throat is partly or fully blocked when you're sleeping, which causes you to stop breathing¹. You can stop breathing for between 10 to 90 seconds and wake up, which restarts your breathing.

These episodes, called apnoeas, can happen a lot during sleep, and you're often unaware that these are happening.

It ranges from mild to severe and can affect anyone.

Some symptoms include:

• Waking up gasping or choking

• Tosing and turning during sleep

• Feeling unrefreshed after sleep

¹Healthdirect, Obstructive Sleep Apnoea, accessed 5 June 2023

CPAP therapy and treatment are recognised as the 'gold standard' of treatment for obstructive sleep apnoea.

CPAP therapy is where you use a continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) mask and machine that feeds pressurised air into the mask that holds your throat open as you sleep.

However, there are other options you can try to reduce the symptoms of your obstructive sleep apnoea, including:

• An oral appliance, such as a mouthguard or splint, to keep your mouth open which is fitted by your dentist

• Surgery, but this is only recommended if you have severe obstructive sleep apnoea and CPAP treatment and oral appliances haven't eased your symptoms

The most important part of CPAP treatment, or any other treatment that can ease your obstructive sleep apnoea symptoms, is that it is comfortable for you to use consistently.

Some common problems with CPAP therapy are that many find the treatment uncomfortable to sleep with and don't stick with it to see results.

The key to sticking with CPAP is to find a machine and mask that meets your needs.

¹Better Health Channel, Sleep Apnoea, accessed 5 June 2023

At Blooms The Chemist, we have three to choose from, which include:

• A full face mask, which covers your mouth and nose and may suit you if you breathe through your mouth when you sleep

• A nasal mask, which covers your nose from the bridge to the area above your lip and may suit you if you breathe through your nose when you sleep

• A nasal pillow mask, which is small, lightweight and may suit you if you toss or turn during sleep

For more information about CPAP masks, click here.

There are common problems associated with CPAP therapy and mask use, which include¹:

• Removing your mask during sleep

• Waking up with a dry mouth

• Mask issues, such as skin irritation or marks or feeling claustrophobic

• Disturbed sleep from the noise of the machine

• Pressure intolerance (either too much or not enough)

It's important to partner with your doctor or Pharmacist to find the right mask and machine that works best for you. After all, the best treatment is the one you're going to stick to.

Finding the right pressure, mask, and machine for your needs can help you stick to your CPAP therapy.

¹Harvard Health Publishing, I can't tolerate CPAP, what can I do? accessed 5 June 2023

We offer a range of services for sleep apnoea, including:

• A free online sleep test that you can take to determine whether you're at risk

• An at-home sleep test that can be done in the comfort of your own home to determine if you have sleep apnoea

• Personalised service from our trusted Pharmacists on the range of CPAP machines, CPAP masks and more that we have online and in-store

Whether you purchase your CPAP device online or in-store, you benefit from our ongoing expert professional advice which is a service you can trust.

We also offer the following:

• In-store fittings

• 5-year warranty on machines

• 1-year warranty on masks

• If you purchase your machine in your local Blooms The Chemist, you get 12 months of health checks

• Free delivery

• Ongoing support

• *$75 reward points if you are a My HealthRewards member

• Buy now, pay later

You can find your local Blooms The Chemist CPAP clinic by going to our Store Finder page, going to Filter by Health Checks and clicking on the Sleep Apnoea Testing tag.