Can cpap push dirt deeper into lungs?

[acidragon]

I'm in the construction/welding industry. Almost on a daily basis there is some soot or black dirt in my airway when I blow my nose at the end of the day. Can cpap push the finer dust/dirt deeper into my lungs? There's been so much positive with cpap for me, its almost too good to be true... Has there been any studies done on this? Also netti pot on a daily basis is not good for you. Yes you clean out a lot of dirt but you also wash away all the protective mucus. I stopped having sinus infections when I stopped using the pot. Every now and then ill use it if I had a rough day.

[Wulfman...]

I'm in the construction/welding industry. Almost on a daily basis there is some soot or black dirt in my airway when I blow my nose at the end of the day. Can cpap push the finer dust/dirt deeper into my lungs? There's been so much positive with cpap for me, its almost too good to be true... Has there been any studies done on this? Also netti pot on a daily basis is not good for you. Yes you clean out a lot of dirt but you also wash away all the protective mucus. I stopped having sinus infections when I stopped using the pot. Every now and then ill use it if I had a rough day.

No. Not any more so than regular breathing.......because that's what CPAP therapy does.......gives you enough air to splint your airway open so you can breathe naturally. It doesn't FORCE air into your lungs......it enables natural breathing and helps to prevent you from stopping breathing (apneas). It would take a ventilator to force air into your lungs.......that's what's called "invasive" therapy. This is "non-invasive" therapy using a "flow generator".


Den

.

[chunkyfrog]

I would, however use a heated humidifier if at all possible, as the extra moisture helps your body's natural processes
to remove foreign material from your breathing passages.
BTW, if you are a smoker---STOP.

[acidragon]

I would, however use a heated humidifier if at all possible, as the extra moisture helps your body's natural processes
to remove foreign material from your breathing passages.
BTW, if you are a smoker---STOP.

Yes I have a heated humidifier. I also found out using one of the higher settings caused a ton of congestion. I'm at setting 1 and its perfect for me. Quit smoking over a decade ago dont think ill ever pick up that habit again.

[ChicagoGranny]

Almost on a daily basis there is some soot or black dirt in my airway

Sounds like your respiratory protection may not be appropriate - http://www.ishn.com/articles/94437-tips ... protection

[palerider]

I'm in the construction/welding industry. Almost on a daily basis there is some soot or black dirt in my airway when I blow my nose at the end of the day. Can cpap push the finer dust/dirt deeper into my lungs?

the cpap will cause *less* crap to get into your lungs than what you cause working in a dirty environment during the day....

reason? you're breathing shallower during sleep, and it's your breathing, (as others have said above) that's what pulls things into your lungs.... if you're working, you're pumping much more air through your lungs than when you're sleeping.

rest easy.

[chunkyfrog]

Good catch, Granny!
Often employers will only provide minimal health and safety protection.
Even if you have to provide it yourself, it is well worth it.
Save documentation of the material that comes back up, just in case you need it.
I know that wearing any mask under a welding helmet is unpleasant,
but even a soft particle mask is better than nothing.

[acidragon]

Almost on a daily basis there is some soot or black dirt in my airway

Sounds like your respiratory protection may not be appropriate - http://www.ishn.com/articles/94437-tips ... protection

When I couldnt get my sinus infections under control two years ago I started using respirators and fresh air system welding masks. Made a huge difference in just a matter of weeks I was feeling much better but some still gets in, just part of the job I guess. Its true not many people use protection and usually people who use protection are laughed/criticized upon but I just use it. I figure if I do come down with something very bad I wont have any regrets. Although on some very hot days using respirators can be more hazardous to your health. example: you pass out from the heat from using a mask and fall off a building.... dead > dirty airway.

[acidragon]

At the moment I'm using a Speedglas fresh air system. Looks like this,

http://solutions.3m.co.uk/3MContentRetr ... =ImageFile

http://www.aikencolon.com/assets/images ... p-app2.jpg

Its great in that it grabs air from behind you (just dont fart) and runs it through two filters before being blown into the helmet thus eliminating the respirator. Its a great system you dont breathe any fumes due to the positive pressure in the mask. Only downside.... is the thing weighs a ton and after a full days work your neck is ready to fall off which in the long term can do a lot of damage (a few guys i know already had to get their spines fused after being in the trade most of their lives). Also you get laughed at because you look like you're getting ready to fly into space.

[Sleeprider]

I used to work as a regulator for asbestos removal operations and used a similar power air purifying respirator (PAPR). They are good systems, but metal fume can be sub-micron in size. It is the very small, aerodynamic particle that can reach the deep lung tissue. CPAP cannot make deposits in your airway become airborne again to go deeper, and the moisture can help natural lung secretions move contaminates out of the bronchi to the esophagus.

The PAPR does a good job of reducing smoke and fumes from welding, but it is an incomplete solution by itself. Work spaces need to be ventilated to pull contaminates away from your work station to a control device to reduce potential exposure such that the respirator is not the primary means of protecting you. Where ventilation is not feasible, alternatives to high efficiency particulate air filters may include supplied air and SCBA which are clean air sources, not filtered. This is especially important where you work with chromium, lead, zinc, beryllium, arsenic, barium, cadmium and other alloys or alloys and coatings containing toxic metals and components. Exposure monitoring should be conducted even though you use a respirator.

[ChicagoGranny]

http://www.aikencolon.com

A most unfortunately named website.

[acidragon]

http://www.aikencolon.com

A most unfortunately named website.

well at least there wasn't an 'S after Aiken.

[ChicagoGranny]

If you have to 'splains 'em.

[Sir NoddinOff]

Naughty ChicagoGranny... you've been getting off some 'blue' zingers lately I think you even used the F-bomb a few days ago!

[ChicagoGranny]

I think you even used the F-bomb a few days ago!

Careful.

The search function says I have only used it once in the forum and that was on December 8, 2013. And when I looked it wasn't there. I probably went back and spam-deleted it.

But if you can read my mind, that's another matter.