Remove air filter, feel better

General Discussion on any topic relating to CPAP and/or Sleep Apnea.
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papzombie
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Remove air filter, feel better

Post by papzombie » Tue Feb 28, 2017 2:50 am

Seems the first positive news from me since I join this forum, 10 months on CPAP.

I remove the air filter (where air comes in), and I feel immediately better.

Although all the cognitive complaints stay still, but wake up headache seems to fade away.

I wash the air filter every 2-3 months. So the dust might be responsible for 30% of the blocking, but I think the filter itself cause the lack of air coming in. (I always complain about the lack of air circulation in my room, when the door and window are not opened enough).

Air quality index is around 45 where I live (http://www.aqicn.org).

Now, bugs, snake, dinosaur might get into my lung, but I suffer less during the day

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kteague
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Re: Remove air filter, feel better

Post by kteague » Tue Feb 28, 2017 3:24 am

I'm a little fuzzy on your history so I'll just throw this out there. Disregard if irrelevant to you situation. Have you already been thoroughly assessed and ruled out any respiratory disorders that would cause your lung to be unable to process the air no matter how much air you take in? Personally, fear of those dinosaurs would deter me from removing my filter.

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linuxman
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Re: Remove air filter, feel better

Post by linuxman » Tue Feb 28, 2017 7:22 am

This sounds like placebo effect to me. The filter does create some small bit of resistance to incoming airflow, but that just means the motor has to work a little harder to create the airflow needed to reach target pressure. Unless there is severe restriction that overwhelms the motor, it's going to be able to deliver the pressure and airflow that's set. Now I guess you could have some sort of allergy to something in the filter material..who knows.

In any case, I don't think running it without the filter is a good idea. It's not a problem to breath the unfiltered air per se, as you do that all the time. But it will get the inside of the machine dirty, and that may at some point negatively effect the blower or other components. Then, you'd have to take the machine apart to clean it, instead of just cleaning/replacing the filter. I think you probably should look elsewhere on the issues you're having. I think they're likely due to something other than sleep apnea.

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LSAT
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Re: Remove air filter, feel better

Post by LSAT » Tue Feb 28, 2017 7:40 am

If you feel you are not getting enough air, why not increase the pressure setting...I think you are asking for trouble by removing the filter.

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Re: Remove air filter, feel better

Post by Guest » Tue Feb 28, 2017 8:00 am

LSAT wrote:...I think you are asking for trouble by removing the filter.
I couldn't agree more.
1st there should be two filters 1 Fine + 1 Foam. Maybe cleaning and replacing these filters more often than you have been is the answer.

fwiw - I routinely replace my filters once a month use the 1st day of the month as a reminder.

bmanley
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Re: Remove air filter, feel better

Post by bmanley » Tue Feb 28, 2017 9:06 am

Removing the filter is just asking for all the dirt and dust to get inside the machine and make it work harder since once it gets in there you would have to take the machine apart to clean it out. If you have a clean filter it is not causing you to not get enough air. Seems like you need to have your machine checked to make sure it is working as it should be. And as others have said have you been checked for a real problem with you lungs to see if things are okay

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LSAT
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Re: Remove air filter, feel better

Post by LSAT » Tue Feb 28, 2017 9:51 am

THIS IS WHAT YOU POSTED ON A PREVIOUS THREAD...........................

I stopped cleaning my machine since 2 months, so the mask is 2 months dirty.

The filter is about 3-4 month without being replaced / washed.


THAT'S YOUR PROBLEM....

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LoBattery
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Re: Remove air filter, feel better

Post by LoBattery » Tue Feb 28, 2017 10:01 am

Interesting post. It reminded me to check my filter after 6 months. These filters can not filter out anything but the largest particles in the air. Is there any visible contamination on these filters before you wash them? One possibility is you are responding to some cleaner left on the filter or some pollution is reacting with foam or other material. A paper or other product may not be washable and structure collapses with washing. That could cause restriction. Do not think that is a realistic possibility as the machine should compensate. If I lived in an area with poor air quality, I would put the unit in a custom box with a complex filter of at least 0.1 meter squared area. Filtering is much better when the air speed slows down through the media. A charcoal element would be added for non particle filtering and electrostatics for active filtering. This sounds like a lot of work. Sleeping is a major portion of your life. If you can remove irritants from this portion of your life it has to improve your overall health. There has to be air filtering products like this in your area that at least could be modified. Do you have any in room filtering systems in use now?
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palerider
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Re: Remove air filter, feel better

Post by palerider » Tue Feb 28, 2017 12:40 pm

papzombie wrote:Seems the first positive news from me since I join this forum, 10 months on CPAP.

I remove the air filter (where air comes in), and I feel immediately better.

Although all the cognitive complaints stay still, but wake up headache seems to fade away.

I wash the air filter every 2-3 months. So the dust might be responsible for 30% of the blocking, but I think the filter itself cause the lack of air coming in. (I always complain about the lack of air circulation in my room, when the door and window are not opened enough).

Air quality index is around 45 where I live (http://www.aqicn.org).

Now, bugs, snake, dinosaur might get into my lung, but I suffer less during the day
ridiculous, and damaging to your machine, the filters on those machines should be cleaned *monthly* iirc.

see a shrink.

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Goofproof
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Re: Remove air filter, feel better

Post by Goofproof » Tue Feb 28, 2017 5:22 pm

I guess he thrives in dirt, like Charlie Brown's "Pig Pen". Jim
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crestifer
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Re: Remove air filter, feel better

Post by crestifer » Tue Feb 28, 2017 6:17 pm

2 months without cleaning something that you put on your face everynight?

that sounds like asking for trouble.

maybe i'm way OCD, but i wash my mask and humidifier tank every morning. only takes 5 minutes.

it seems to me that anything that is a vessel that is delivering air into my lungs should be cleaned as much as possible to avoid any possible bacteria or infection getting to my lungs.

i'm not sure if removing the filter on your machine would be advisable. it seems to me, by design, a machine with a filter is meant to be run with a clean filter.

the pressure should not be effected by the filter, i would think that any reputable manufacturer would factor in the filter when determining input-output of the device.

the pressure that is set on your machine should be it's output, the filter should not be affecting that.

obviously i could be wrong, but i know enough about machines, HVACs, motors, engines, etc. to know that filters are an integral part of a design.

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palerider
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Re: Remove air filter, feel better

Post by palerider » Tue Feb 28, 2017 7:21 pm

crestifer wrote:2 months without cleaning something that you put on your face everynight?

that sounds like asking for trouble.
if your face doesn't infect your face, then something you put on your face, that has bits of your face on it, isn't going to do anything more.
crestifer wrote:maybe i'm way OCD,
pretty much.
crestifer wrote:it seems to me that anything that is a vessel that is delivering air into my lungs should be cleaned as much as possible to avoid any possible bacteria or infection getting to my lungs.
do you also wear a mask all day long to avoid breathing any airborne bacteria/viruses?

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crestifer
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Re: Remove air filter, feel better

Post by crestifer » Tue Feb 28, 2017 8:21 pm

i'm down with OCD...

yeah, you know me.

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palerider
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Re: Remove air filter, feel better

Post by palerider » Tue Feb 28, 2017 8:50 pm

crestifer wrote:i'm down with OCD...

yeah, you know me.
clean your stuff as often as makes you happy, me, when I used a FFM, I'd wipe down the seal daily to remove face oil, I'd usually wash it weekly, and wash the hose never.

generally, it seems fanatical cleaners wear out cushions and hoses a lot faster than those that aren't freaked out by the bugs that live on their bodies.

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crestifer
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Re: Remove air filter, feel better

Post by crestifer » Tue Feb 28, 2017 9:02 pm

palerider wrote:
crestifer wrote:i'm down with OCD...

yeah, you know me.
clean your stuff as often as makes you happy, me, when I used a FFM, I'd wipe down the seal daily to remove face oil, I'd usually wash it weekly, and wash the hose never.

generally, it seems fanatical cleaners wear out cushions and hoses a lot faster than those that aren't freaked out by the bugs that live on their bodies.
word.

seems legit.

i suppose i could just get something to wipe off the face oils. that's really what i was referring to. i have a greasy a#$ face. mask feels slimy after 6-7 hours against my giant schnauz. maybe i should take a shower more often.

it does seem rather pointless to wash the hose, as long as one is not using 10 day old illinois tap water in the humidifier.

i'm just washing the mask with a little bit of soapy water, and rinsing it off...i didn't think about it wearing the mask out...makes sense.

i've seen all the products made to clean masks and the soclean onzinator or whatever it is called. that seems..well...like good marketing hype.

i've already got suckered by the remzzzs mask liners. that was a waste of 30 bucks...but they'll make quality rags, i suppose.

i'm new to this game, i appreciate the advice of folks in the big leagues.

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