Table of Contents
The term medical air mattress refers to a type of air mattress that is used for medical purposes. It is designed with special features that help in providing comfort to the patients as well as improving their health conditions.
This type of air mattress can be used both in hospitals or for patients at home.
In this article, we provide a guide to everything you need to know about medical air mattresses and how to choose what suits your needs most.
Benefits of a Medical Air Mattress
1. Convenient for Patients
A medical air mattress is very easy and convenient for patients.
- It is made of washable materials and is water and fire resistant which makes it easy to clean, and this is a very important element for patients.
- A medical air mattress is also light and easy to move unlike regular mattresses that are heavy to move. You can remove the mattress to be cleaned and place it back on the patient’s bed easily.
2. Improving Blood Circulation
Patients tend to stay in bed for a long time; some of them cannot even turn in bed during sleep. This causes a lot of pressure on the patient’s body which ultimately causes the blood supply to be cut off.
- A medical air mattress can help improve blood circulation for patients by working on alternating the pressure on the patient’s body.
- The type of air mattress used for medical purposes is referred to as an alternating pressure air mattress.
How Does an Alternating Pressure Air Mattress Work?
- A medical air mattress has numerous air cylinders placed parallel to one another. The deflation of one air cylinder causes another to inflate.
- The air flows in succession in the cylinders causing a type of motion beneath the patient’s body which helps in alternating pressure.
- This cycle functions the same way a patient would be turning in bed, keeping the body in constant motion while the patient remains lying still.
3. Preventing Pressure Sores
This is the most common use for medical air mattresses, but to know how an air bed can help in preventing pressure sores, it is important to know what originally causes them to appear.
As mentioned previously, the increased pressure on the patient’s body causes the blood supply to the skin to be cut off. Ultimately, the skin in the areas where blood supply is cut off causes the skin to develop pressure sores.
With the alternating pressure feature, an air mattress reduces the prolonged pressure on the patient’s body and prevents pressure sores.
4. Temperature Regulation
As you might know, the material from which air mattresses are made is very poor in regulating temperature. A medical air mattress is designed to help in regulating temperature for the comfort of the patient.
It is designed with tiny perforations that allow small amounts of air to leak out of the mattress to renew the air inside the mattress. This causes the mattress to be cooler and helps in regulating the temperature of the patient’s body.
Best Medical Air Mattress Brands
1. Medical King
Medical King is one of the most common brands of medical air mattresses as well as other high-quality medical supplies.
This brand provides an alternating pressure air mattress that is very beneficial for preventing pressure sores.
Their mattress comes with the low air leak technology that renews the air inside the mattress and helps to keep the surface cooler.
Their mattresses also come with a noise-free pump to add to the comfort of the patient, making the process of inflation and deflation as quiet as possible.
- The price of an alternating pressure air mattress from Medical King is $80.
2. Drive Medical
Drive Medical is another common brand of medical supplies that provides alternating pressure air mattresses.
The type of medical air mattress this brand provides is actually different from the regular alternating pressure mattresses.
The mattress comes with 20 individual air cells that provide better pressure alternation which is a very important feature for patients who tend to stay in bed because they are more likely to develop pressure sores.
- This brand sells the alternating pressure air mattress at $430.
