health issues using auto cpap

[m_ahlenius]

Hi

i've searched around to see if this topic was already discussed, but have not found it.

I have a Resmed AirSense 10 and use a large full face mask with a humidifier. Over the past year, I have had a lot of bad head/sinus issues (about 8 or 9 times). I'm starting to wonder if perhaps its related to my auto cpap machine. Just cannot figure out why i've been getting these bad sinus headaches and head congestion which lasts about 2 weeks. Been to to doctor and all checks out and very careful about washing hands, etc. I clean my cpap about once/week with white vinegar and kitchen soap. I am just wondering if others have had similar issues?

I've heard recently ads on the radio about a cpap cleaning system which kills 99% of bacteria, etc. But this is an expensive solution. So wondering the following:

1). How frequently do others wash/clean their cpap components?
2). Have others had bad sinus headaches due to bacteria in the cpap? (does this happen much?)
3). How do you clean the machine itself?
4). Suggestions?

thanks much

'mark

[tooter]

There is lots of information out there....put soclean in the search area at the top of this page.

[Julie]

Lower or turn off your humidifier... it's not 'therapy' in itself and can easily cause congestion and other issues if not necessary in your local climate, season, etc. Try it for a few nights and see what happens. I never need mine, others do.

[SleepyBobR]

Ditto on the humidifier.

[DreamStalker]

Everybody is different when it comes to CPAP humidification requirements .... whether perceived or real. I used to think it was important when I first started because the DME told me so -- but after I discovered the DMEs generally don't really know either because most of them don't even use CPAP on a nightly basis, I had to just learn to trust myself and do my own research and critical thinking.

Today, I use only passover humidification except for when I travel overnight away from home (which is very rarely) ... and then I use no humidification at all. Basically, I spend my entire awake time without any supplemental humidification and do just fine as I did in my youth prior to developing OSA. My view is that humidification only serves to hide or cover up CPAP circuit air pressure leaks because anyone who is drying out while sleeping on CPAP is likely to be experiencing pressure leaks. So if I wake up with dry mouth/sinuses ... I know I've got a leak issue to attend to.

As for bacteria, the world is just as full of fake news these days (aka - unverified information) just as it is full of bacteria. In the early history of medical science it was discovered that tiny pesky little microbes were responsible for pathogenic disease ... and so bacteria were vilified and to be killed ... all 99% of them! As it turns out, there are actually more beneficial bacteria than there are pathogenic bacteria in the world and on our bodies. From an evolutionary viewpoint, bacteria were the first to colonize the planet and none of us or any other animal, plant, or organism would be here today if it were not for the lowly vilified bacteria. It was once said that every adult human carried more than 10 times more cells of bacteria than human cells at any one instant in time.
Humans Carry More Bacterial Cells than Human Ones - You are more bacteria than you are you, according to the latest body census

However more recently (like a few days ago), a new study came out stating that bacteria only outnumber our human body cells by 1.3 times.
Body’s bacteria don’t outnumber human cells so much after all

Here is the actual PDF of the more recent study report ...
Revised estimates for the number of human and bacteria cells in the body

So yeah ... lots of fake news to sift through. But nonetheless, IMO bacteria are not the boogie monsters that the health industry (or agriculture industry, or chemical industry) makes them out to be. I've recently completed a few online courses on soil microbiology (yeah, I know, that's just weird) and I'm convinced that the war on bacteria has caused humans and all the other animals, plants, and organisms on the planet way more harm than good. Basically, I've never cleaned my CPAP machine or my CPAP hose, or may CPAP mask head gear. I've cleaned my nasal pillows less than once per year with dish soap and warm water (always after I've had a sinus/respiratory infection -- maybe 3 very mild infections over the last 11 years). So wash your equipment as often as you want .. or not ... it will likely not make much of a difference except to your own perception of the evil microbes out to get you. It's your money, your time, and your peace of mind.

[D.H.]

If you do use the humidifier, remember to only use distilled water, dump the water every morning, and thoroughly dry the water tank. One way to do this is the run the CPAP for an hour in the morning (while you eat breakfast, get dressed, shower, etc.) to blow air through the tank.

[Julie]

And the point of drying the tank every day when water is going to be replaced anyway in a few hours? You need help!

[LSAT]

If you do use the humidifier, remember to only use distilled water, dump the water every morning, and thoroughly dry the water tank. One way to do this is the run the CPAP for an hour in the morning (while you eat breakfast, get dressed, shower, etc.) to blow air through the tank.

If you use distilled water, this is completely UNNECESSARY...

[grayghost4]

i've searched around to see if this topic was already discussed, but have not found it.

viewtopic/t115038/search.php?keywords=c ... +equipment

[SewTired]

Ok, you've seen your doctor, but have you seen an ENT? I agree with lowering the humidity first as an option. Your cleaning regimen is certainly adequate and don't waste a dime on that So Clean machine.

You will find that there are different levels of hygiene and opinions on cleaning. I think you are already doing an adequate job from your description. Some people dump their water daily, others top off all week and then dump, some never do. People also live in different home conditions. The recommendation from the docs and PTs at the hospital is to clean everything AT A MINIMUM of every other week. So, that's what I go by and recommend.

Distilled water is recommended solely because of the mineral buildup. Those bins are designed to last 2-2.5 years.

[raisedfist]

I hardly ever clean my equipment. I wash my P10 mask parts maybe once a month. I never clean my humidifier - I just use distilled water and I've never noticed anything afoul. Most nights I don't even use it. The hose gets washed maybe once every few months. I use an anti-bacterial wipe to clean the shelving that the machine sits on maybe once a month - I own a cat so sometimes that just becomes part of the routine "maintenance" of my apartment.

[m_ahlenius]

Thanks to everyone who replied.

I do use distilled water every night. And each morning I dump out the humidifier tank and rinse it out and then dry it. With my ResMed, there appears to be no way to just let it run and dry out the hose (it is a "heated hose" which I don't think I mentioned). If my unit runs without any back pressure, it shuts off in about 5-6 seconds.

I will try running with lower humidity, but I often wake with with my mouth as dry as a sock, so that's one reason they (DME and my pulmonologist PA) recommended me using it.

thanks again.

'mark

[Krelvin]

Not sure what the point of letting the tank dry out everyday is. I just top off every night and wash it occasionally. It is distilled water.

Resmed cpaps continued to run when you turn then off for a period of time to cool off and dry the hose. Can't see what cpap model you have using this app but all modern models have done that for some time.

Can't even remember the last time I had a sinus headache, long before I started using a cpap more than 11 years ago though.