In line filters make too much noise

any one have a challenge with the inline bacteria filters making too much whistling noise? How do you stop this. I ended up putting the filter on the mask end but it makes the mask heavier. I live with it but its just no optimum.

If it makes too much noise...stop using it. It's not part of the normal CPAP set up. It's optional.

Paulv wrote:any one have a challenge with the inline bacteria filters making too much whistling noise? How do you stop this. I ended up putting the filter on the mask end but it makes the mask heavier. I live with it but its just no optimum.

my experience is the opposite, they tend to *reduce* the whistling...

but, they may change the resonance characteristics of the hose enough to make it more notable... try changing your pressure a little and see if that changes the whistle... or change to a smoother bore hose.

As a new CPAP user, my opinion may not be all that useful, but my formal over-education is in microbiology and molecular biology. Unless you have specific needs (or were directed by a physician) to use these filters, I would suggest not use them.

We breathe small amounts of bacteria in all day long (mostly aerosolized), and unless you are sleeping near a sewage treatment plant (I worked at one for a time, funny enough), I would not worry about the CPAP adding that much more to it. Plus, there are the less restrictive, but probably still somewhat effective air intake filters present on your machine. I don't know the micron level of the filters, but they have to trap some bugs, though not all. In the lab, the filters we use for filtering microbes from liquids are not all that porous, adding significant resistance to flow. Air filters for the labs I work in are just fancier versions of HEPA filters (often coupled with positive or negative pressure, depending upon the circumstances).

I would not worry about them, as we are essentially walking culure vessels for bacteria (and others), and still survive.

But it's me! wrote:We breathe small amounts of bacteria in all day long (mostly aerosolized), and unless you are sleeping near a sewage treatment plant (I worked at one for a time, funny enough), I would not worry about the CPAP adding that much more to it.

for me it seems that the added filtration helps reduce my allergy symptoms while using the cpap, and the extra filtration. whether that's a placebo effect, or it is catching some amount of allergen (it does get discolored over time, so it's getting *something*) is open to debate.

palerider wrote:

But it's me! wrote:We breathe small amounts of bacteria in all day long (mostly aerosolized), and unless you are sleeping near a sewage treatment plant (I worked at one for a time, funny enough), I would not worry about the CPAP adding that much more to it.

for me it seems that the added filtration helps reduce my allergy symptoms while using the cpap, and the extra filtration. whether that's a placebo effect, or it is catching some amount of allergen (it does get discolored over time, so it's getting *something*) is open to debate.

Good point! Given my also generic, as in everything they stuck my skin with swelled, allergy testing, the filters might help there. I do sleep with a HEPA filter in the room, which may also be placebo effect. Funny enough, my internist offered that he thought the CPAP may also be placebo effect when I mentioned that I felt more rested during the day than pre-CPAP. Not sure what to think, as I did feel an immediate difference the first few weeks of CPAP. Then he has to toss in suspicion that its all in my head... Regardless, at least I don't worry about low O2 stats now.

But it's me! wrote:Given my also generic, as in everything they stuck my skin with swelled, allergy testing,

*lol* the first time I had allergy testing and then shots. i came away positive with most anything that grew... fortunately, no foods though... the last bottle of allergy stuff in the four bottle set looked like mud.

But it's me! wrote:

palerider wrote:

But it's me! wrote:We breathe small amounts of bacteria in all day long (mostly aerosolized), and unless you are sleeping near a sewage treatment plant (I worked at one for a time, funny enough), I would not worry about the CPAP adding that much more to it.

for me it seems that the added filtration helps reduce my allergy symptoms while using the cpap, and the extra filtration. whether that's a placebo effect, or it is catching some amount of allergen (it does get discolored over time, so it's getting *something*) is open to debate.

Good point! Given my also generic, as in everything they stuck my skin with swelled, allergy testing, the filters might help there. I do sleep with a HEPA filter in the room, which may also be placebo effect. Funny enough, my internist offered that he thought the CPAP may also be placebo effect when I mentioned that I felt more rested during the day than pre-CPAP. Not sure what to think, as I did feel an immediate difference the first few weeks of CPAP. Then he has to toss in suspicion that its all in my head... Regardless, at least I don't worry about low O2 stats now.

All in your head or not...at least the way you're coping is WITHOUT adding drugs and chemicals to your body.

Paulv wrote:any one have a challenge with the inline bacteria filters making too much whistling noise? How do you stop this. I ended up putting the filter on the mask end but it makes the mask heavier. I live with it but its just no optimum.

Is there a particular reason you're using the inline bacteria filter? You usually only use them for a short term when you're using a CPAP machine that's used by other people like in a sleep lab.

archangle wrote:Is there a particular reason you're using the inline bacteria filter? You usually only use them for a short term when you're using a CPAP machine that's used by other people like in a sleep lab.

in your opinion