The Harvard Health Blog asks: Can a CPAP system really lead to illness? And if so, do we need space-age technology to clean a CPAP machine?

Do CPAP systems really get dirty? Yes, they can harbor germs if they’re not cleaned. “The mask sits on the face, in contact with organisms on the skin. Over time, bacteria and oils on a dirty mask may give you a rash or infection on the skin,” says Dr. Epstein.