CPAP machines are one of the most effective inventions made to treat sleeping conditions like sleep apnea. Before buying one, it is important to learn everything about it and I’m here to help you out with that.
So, can you buy a CPAP machine without a doctor? No, you can’t buy a CPAP machine without a doctor’s prescription. There is a way to buy without one, but there are risks of buying fake CPAP machines.
Yes, there is a way for you to buy a CPAP machine without being prescribed by a doctor, however, all of the legitimate companies that sell CPAP machines would require a prescription.
Which means you most likely will be able to buy from unlicensed producers or companies that will not demand a doctor’s recommendation.
Another thing is, you can’t include your insurance when buying the CPAP.
Most insurance companies cover CPAP machine costs, but they will need a doctor’s prescription to see if you qualify for the insurance benefits.
Buying a CPAP machine without a doctor’s recommendation can be dangerous because you might end up getting the wrong air pressure that your body needs and can tolerate.
Even if you do know the right air pressure for your body, the CPAP machine you will receive is not guaranteed to be working as it should since you may not be buying from licensed sellers.
The world we live in today are full of deceptions which is the sad truth. Fake machines or replicas exist everywhere and accidentally buying and using one can lead to actual accidents that may hurt your health.
Just because there is a way for you to buy a CPAP machine without a doctor’s recommendation doesn’t mean you should.
It is, after all, best to be safe than sorry.
But what exactly are the reasons why you shouldn’t buy a CPAP machine without a doctor’s prescription? There are plenty of reasons why and you will know about it as you read on.
Why you should buy a CPAP machine with a doctor
Let me tell you about the pros and cons of buying with and without a doctor. Some of these are already mentioned above, but it’s better to show the difference properly.
| Buying a CPAP machine with a Doctor | Buying a CPAP machine without a Doctor |
| Receive the right diagnosis | No proper diagnosis |
| Use the right equipment | You may not need CPAP machine, you might need another form of treatment |
| Save money using insurance | Risk spending more money than you should |
| Guarantees safety and durability | Fake machines may explode easily or expose you to more danger |
| Learn and use the proper air pressure | End up using the wrong air pressure and worsen your health |
Clearly, you should just stick with buying with a doctor. Let me explain the advantages in detail.
First, you will receive the right diagnosis. Treatment for conditions like sleep apnea will be different depending on how worse it is, what causes it and such.
You might have another disease that’s causing your sleep apnea and you won’t find out about that unless you get the right diagnosis from a doctor.
A doctor or a CPAP machine expert can also determine what kind of machine you need, what type of mask and such should you use for better recovery.
You wouldn’t know if you actually need an oral appliance, not a CPAP machine.
With insurance active, you can also save money for the other costs. Instead of buying a CPAP machine without a doctor, you end up saving money and avoid the other risks too.
It is safer to buy with a trusted source than buying from an unknown one. Again, those who will allow you to purchase the machine without prescription are probably illegal traders.
A fake machine may have less durability while a legitimate CPAP machine can last up to 7 years! And who knows, a fake machine might also end up exploding while you’re using it. That’s scary, right?
Lastly, you definitely need the right air pressure or otherwise, your CPAP machine won’t work even if it’s legitimate. You might end up hurting yourself if you use the wrong air pressure.
What else can be good? Well, buying with a doctor’s prescription can also help you replace the machine in case it’s wrong or doesn’t work. The company referred by your doctor will cooperate with you.
You can also regularly visit your doctor for checkups to monitor the improvement of your health.
Without a doctor, you won’t have access to these privileges.
How buying a CPAP machine with a doctor helps
With a doctor’s prescription, your CPAP machine will work wonders for you. It is one of the most commonly used treatment methods since it is very effective for many people.
See this list of benefits of using the right CPAP machine with the help of a doctor’s prescription.
- Lessen daytime sleepiness
- Sleep apnea can make it difficult to fall asleep at night. If you use CPAP, you may prevent this.
- Anti-snoring device
- Using a CPAP mask can control snoring tendencies. Sleep apnea patients are often loud and constant snorers but with CPAP, now you can sleep better.
- No more morning headaches
- Sleep apnea also causes headaches. CPAP users report better mornings without headaches after using CPAP.
- Avoid heart failures
- May lead to fatal conditions such as brain damages or even death, CPAP can prevent heart failures caused by sleep apnea.
- Avoid heart attacks
- Sleep apnea can trigger heart attacks and can also be severely threatening however, this can be prevented by using the CPAP machine.
- Stop irregular heartbeats
- Irregular heartbeats worsens the ability to breathe and it can trigger anxiety but CPAP can bring your heartbeat pattern back to normal.
- Prevent stroke
- Getting hit by stroke can leave permanent damage that may lead to paralysis. Sleep apnea can also be the cause of stroke but the help of CPAP machine can lessen the risk of stroke.
- Improved control for emotions
- Sleep apnea can cause irritability and mental or emotional problems because it affects our physical health and our brain but CPAP can prevent it.
- Helps the body control your hormones
- Being sleep deprived can actually trigger diabetic tendencies! This is because your hormones will lose control due to lack of sleep which can be prevented or fixed by CPAP machines.
- Avoid uncontrolled weight gain or loss
- Sleep apnea also messes with the body’s hormones, causing the patient to usually gain weight uncontrollably. For rare cases, patients lose weight too. CPAP machines can prevent this.
- Avoiding high blood pressure
- Aside from your physical health, hypertension can also affect your mental health and relationship with people around you including your work. CPAP treatment can prevent this.
- Better ability to focus and memorize
- Sleep apnea reduces your ability to focus and worsens ADHD (Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder), but using CPAP machine can improve your ability to focus!
- Avoid driving accidents
- People with sleep apnea are prone to daytime sleepiness and can get sleepy while driving or lose focus which can lead to accidents, using a CPAP machine can prevent that.
- Wake up with full energy
- With sleep apnea, your energy will be reduced since you are unable to sleep well. The CPAP machine can fix that for you.
- Eliminates risk of seizure
- Sleep apnea patients are more prone to seizures during sleep compared to epilepsy patients without sleep apnea.
- Reduce medical expenses
- Untreated sleep apnea can lead to worsened health conditions or bring in other risky illnesses that can be prevented by using a CPAP machine, this way, you can avoid extra medical bills.
As you can see, there are a lot of benefits that a CPAP machine can provide! But this will only work perfectly as long as you have a doctor’s prescription to make sure a CPAP machine is what you need.
Related Questions
Is it illegal to buy a CPAP machine?
It is only illegal to buy a CPAP machine if you don’t have a doctor’s prescription. It is also illegal to sell a CPAP machine without a license and medical health license.
However, there are websites where you can buy used or second-hand CPAP machines but the safety is not guaranteed and it might still be illegal if you don’t have a prescription from your doctor.
Can a CPAP machine hurt your lungs?
Rarely, but yes. If the air pressure is too high, it can end up hurting or irritating your lungs instead. If the machine is unclean, it can cause an infection too.
This is why it is important to know the right air pressure that your body needs and can tolerate. The lungs is where your airways are and the CPAP machine helps keep the lungs from “collapsing”.
If the pressure is too high, the CPAP machine may end up doing the opposite of what it should and cause the lungs to collapse, making your sleep apnea worse.
How much is a CPAP machine without insurance?
The average price of a CPAP machine ranges from $500 up to ~ $3000 depending on what brand you are buying and where you live. That is the most common base price of CPAP machines without insurance.
