What Pro2 is Up2

We're proud to announce the opening of our second location, Pro2 C-PAP Center, at 5759 Main Street, Suite 200. You'll find us right at the corner of Main & Garrison in Williamsville. It's a more convenient location for all of our friends and patients in Amherst, Cheektowaga, Lancaster, Snyder, or the Tonawandas!

We offer a full line of CPAP accessories along with the most up to date CPAP machines and masks at our new location.

As always, we feature the 30-day mask guarantee and lifetime support for your therapy. And, unlike other companies, all CPAP set-ups are performed by a licensed Respiratory Therapist.

Our office hours for this location are 10am to 6pm, Monday through Friday. Walk-ins are always welcome, or call to speak with one of our customer service representatives to schedule an appointment at (716)667-9600 option 3.

We'll see you there!

This is a question that your physician can surely answer - and it's always a good idea to get your physician’s approval prior to starting any exercise routine. There are so many excellent reasons why we should all strive to make exercise a part of our daily lives if our physician gives us the green light!

More than just helping to keep our weight down and maintaining good cardiovascular health, exercise can also help improve our attention, reduce risk of cognitive impairment, decrease risk of falls, help improve our coping skills, and basically improve our overall health. Exercise also helps prevent osteoporosis by helping to maintain bone strength. Research has shown that as people get older, often times they don’t view exercise an important part of their life any more. Just because we're aging doesn't mean we have to be sedentary. The vast majority of older adults should participate in physical activity on a regular basis - even those that have various health conditions.

It's recommended that seniors do moderate aerobic exercise (such as brisk walking) 30 minutes per day at least five days a week, or vigorous aerobic exercise (such as jogging or running) for 20 minutes a day three times a week. If you are at risk for falling, there are specific exercises you can do to work on your balance (such as standing on one leg at a time close to something stable).

To get started, choose a type of exercise you enjoy such as swimming, walking, dancing, etc. Make a plan - what type of exercise, how long, and on what days you'll be exercising - and then stick with the plan! Walking is a great way to get started. You don’t have to join a gym or hire a personal trainer. When weather doesn't permit you to walk outside, walk indoors at a shopping mall.

Remember, any exercise is better than none, and every little bit helps. Start today by trying to fit more activity into your daily life - park farther away from the building you are going into, take the stairs instead of the elevator, walk around the house during the commercials while watching TV. Just get up and MOVE - you'll be glad you did!



Camargo, RN, CRRN, Jan. (2014, May). Am I Too OLD or Too SICK to Exercise? The Pulmonary Press. Retrieved May 22, 2014 from http://email.medgroup.com/Respiratory/Pulmonary%20Press%20Newsletter_May%202014_Customizable.pdf.

Cleaning and maintaining your equipment and supplies is essential to your CPAP therapy. Whenever moisture is present, bacteria or mold can grow. Bacteria build up can lead to infections in your body, especially in your airway passages. Also, the oils in your skin and the minerals in tap water can cause premature breakdown in the materials used to manufacture your CPAP equipment, especially your mask. For these reasons it is important to properly clean and dry your equipment on a regular basis.

The following chart will help you properly care for your equipment:



As always, if you experience any trouble with your equipment or have questions about supplies, don't hesitate to contact us!

Avoiding Water Damage:

It's important to change the distilled water in your humidifier on a daily basis. When changing the water, please be sure to remove the water chamber from the unit before filling. You should also avoid moving your unit when water is in the humidifier chamber. We're seeing several CPAPs that have water damage inside due to moving the unit while the humidifier contains water, overfilling the chamber, or accidentally pulling the unit off of the nightstand.

We have a CPAP Holder available to keep your unit securely in place and free up space on your nightstand. Just slide the CPAP holder between your mattress and box spring, and the Velcro will secure your CPAP to the shelf!

The Importance of Heated Humidity:

When we breathe, our airways warm and moisten the incoming air for our lungs. Healthy lungs function under very specific conditions (37°F and 100% humidity). If we are ever exposed to air that's too dry or cold for our lungs, our nose attempts to add warmth and moisture. But in doing so, it can become overwhelmed. As a result, we experience nose and throat symptoms such as a sore/dry throat, nasal congestion, a runny nose, or in extreme cases- a nose bleed.

During CPAP therapy, up to 75% of users experience these kinds of side effects as a result of the dry CPAP air. Heated humidification is an important adjunct to CPAP therapy in order to prevent these annoying symptoms from occurring. As always, if you continue to experience problems, please contact one of our Respiratory Therapists at 716-667-9600 option 8.

Adjusting to CPAP can make your sleep- and life- better, especially if you have severe sleep apnea. Read on to get sleep specialists’ top five tips on how you can make peace with your CPAP.

Focus on the Health Benefits of CPAP

"Your body is in this constant struggle at night between breathing and sleeping," says Collop, who directs the Emory University School of Medicine sleep center. "Fortunately, breathing wins, but it wins at the expense of your sleep."

This causes daytime sleepiness, which can make it difficult to function at work and elsewhere. Lost sleep can also have an adverse effect on aging, diabetes, and blood pressure.

The majority of CPAP users report immediate symptom relief, according to the National Sleep Foundation. They also report increased energy and better mental alertness during the day.

"Very few people like CPAP, but they love the outcome," Kryger tells WebMD. Kryger says that using CPAP improves heart rhythms in some people. (Abnormal heart rhythms can increase the risk of stroke.) CPAP use may also reduce high blood pressure, at least a little.

Consider CPAP a Gift to your Bed Partner

Often, the bed partner of someone with obstructive sleep apnea has a sleep problem too- brought on by the constant awakenings and snoring of the person with apnea. The interruptions can be bad enough to drive the partner from the bedroom altogether, some research suggests.

CPAP treatment will likely improve their lives and the lives of those they love.

Learn all you can About CPAP

It's not enough for you to be handed a mask, machine, and instruction book, Kryger says. Ideally, a representative from the company providing the device should deliver it and demonstrate it.

You should learn what pressure is recommended for you and other basic facts about the machine. The representative should also be able to answer any questions you have or to get answers for you.

Customize the System for You

CPAP machines are not one-size-fits-all. These tips can help you ensure your device is the right one for you:

-Get a CPAP mask that fits well. People often say they’ve given up on their device because it’s uncomfortable. However, that can typically be remedied by getting a different mask or other measures, according to sleep specialists. There are a wide variety of masks available.

- Upgrade your machine. If your CPAP machine seems outdated, try to upgrade. Typically, the devices are covered by insurance.

- Talk to your doctor. Tell your doctor about any symptoms you experience. If symptoms such as snoring that initially went away on CPAP start reappearing while using the device, get reevaluated, Kryger says. In about half of CPAP users, other side effects can occur- such as nasal congestion, dry mouth, or skin irritation.

Stick With It

"It's not a cure," Collop tells her patients. "It's just a treatment. It only works if you wear it."

What's the harm if people miss a night or two- say, if they’re on the road? "Whenever you sleep without it, you still have sleep apnea," she says. "If they miss a night or two, life will go on, but they will notice a difference."

If you make the effort to adjust to the CPAP device and wear it regularly, however, the payoff is big: "CPAP works for almost everybody," Collop says.



Doheny, Kathleen. (2011, January 7). 5 Ways to Live With Your CPAP Machine. WebMD. Retrieved February 15, 2014 from http://www.webmd.com/sleep-disorders/sleep-apnea/features/cpap-machine.