Question about Passover humidty

I am trying understand if passover humidty is basically turning the humidifier down to 0 and letting the air blow over the water in the tank as is without heating the water? I thought I needed more humidity because when I was trying to use the FF mask my mouth was quite dry, but at present with the nasal mask I turned it down to 1 and I have much less congestion. I'm wondering if turning it down to 0 would be even better. Oddly enough with the nasal mask I'm not terrible dry at 1. Heated hose is at 3. Trying to tweak this because I have noticed if I don't do a good job of taping then if my lips part moisture gets onto the tape and loosens it. If that happens my leak rate and AHI is higher.

One respiratory therapist chastised me for having my humidifier turned to 0. She said it would create a problem with my lungs. Was she talking through her hat?

Also, am I defeating the purpose of having a heated hose if I turn the humidifier in the tank to 0?

Thanks for anything you can tell me about this!

Best,
Tuza

I leave my tank empty and turn the hose heet to 5
to each his own

tuzacat wrote:I am trying understand if passover humidty is basically turning the humidifier down to 0 and letting the air blow over the water in the tank as is without heating the water? I thought I needed more humidity because when I was trying to use the FF mask my mouth was quite dry, but at present with the nasal mask I turned it down to 1 and I have much less congestion. I'm wondering if turning it down to 0 would be even better. Oddly enough with the nasal mask I'm not terrible dry at 1. Heated hose is at 3. Trying to tweak this because I have noticed if I don't do a good job of taping then if my lips part moisture gets onto the tape and loosens it. If that happens my leak rate and AHI is higher.

One respiratory therapist chastised me for having my humidifier turned to 0. She said it would create a problem with my lungs. Was she talking through her hat?

Also, am I defeating the purpose of having a heated hose if I turn the humidifier in the tank to 0?

Thanks for anything you can tell me about this!

Best,
Tuza

Yes. No heat and the air picks up water vapor as it "passes over" the water (which is moved around by the air currents). Of course, it also depends on the relative humidity in the dwelling. The lower the relative humidity, the more water vapor will be picked up.

For many people, the increased warm humid air can cause nasal congestion.
I have likened it to whether you breathe better standing under a very warm shower or outside on a cool night during or after a rain shower. It's personal preferences in most cases.

I tried heated humidity the first couple nights of my therapy in May of 2005 and didn't like it, so I disconnected the power source to my humidifier heating unit and have been using "passover" mode ever since. I found it allowed me to breathe better during the night as I've always believed I have enlarged turbinates and deviated septum, and maybe a little allergy to something, too.

You won't actually know until you try it.
And, if you do try it, I'd turn the heated hose off, too.
It may take a little bit to become accustomed to it, but that's like anything else about this therapy, too.


Den

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tuzacat wrote:I am trying understand if passover humidty is basically turning the humidifier down to 0

yes

tuzacat wrote:One respiratory therapist chastised me for having my humidifier turned to 0. She said it would create a problem with my lungs. Was she talking through her hat?

not the orifice I'd have suggested.

tuzacat wrote: Also, am I defeating the purpose of having a heated hose if I turn the humidifier in the tank to 0?

probably, but, so? the heated hose, for most people, is just a solution to rainout issues with higher levels of humidity.

palerider wrote:the heated hose, for most people, is just a solution to rainout issues with higher levels of humidity.

Heated hose would also be a viable solution for ice cube nose with or without added humidity.
My bedroom temps in the winter get quite chilly and even without the humidity being a factor I have had times where the cold nose woke me up a gazillion times and was actually quite uncomfortable. You know my thoughts...anything that wakes me up needs to be fixed. Now if someone already prefers a nice warm bedroom then that's probably not going to be a factor.
Last week we went out of town and stayed in a hotel. I thought I had adjusted the room temps sufficiently downward but I used the wrong thermostat and the bedroom thermostat was at 72 degrees. I was hot and miserable all night and so was hubby. We just aren't used to that much warmth.

Thanks, Folks, I think I will try that tonight and see what happens. I take it that none of you have had lung trouble that you can ascribe to using this technique. I thought it was a bit odd when she said that since intially cpap came without humidification. PR, I have to tell you, I always get such a kick about the way you put things - really helps the sleep deprived to have a chuckle. Good explanation about what makes you comfortable, Den. Pugsy, I'm so acclimatized to being here in Florida that I keep the heat on 70 - you would go nuts in my house. We all freak out if we have to wear a sweater! Grayghost, there seems to be so many combinations of things that can make us comfortable or uncomfortable in this therapy. I can't get over how much attention I have to pay to the details of trying to get some sleep - it is constant - it's my new hobby.

Best,
Tuza

Pugsy wrote:

palerider wrote:the heated hose, for most people, is just a solution to rainout issues with higher levels of humidity.

Heated hose would also be a viable solution for ice cube nose with or without added humidity.

I did say "most" ... having just seeing gray's post about leaving it dry and running the hose heater

if there's anything you've taught me, there are absolutely no absolutes with cpap (well, maybe that one)

tuzacat wrote:PR, I have to tell you, I always get such a kick about the way you put things - really helps the sleep deprived to have a chuckle.

Thank you for saying.... it's always nice to hear from someone I've given a grin or chuckle to.

tuzacat wrote:I keep the heat on 70 - you would go nuts in my house.

Most likely.
When I go visit my daughter in Las Vegas over Christmas it used to be the first thing I did in the bedroom was to open the window because she keeps her house way to warm for me. Now she has got smart and when I went this last time she already had the window open. She's learning.
Now when she comes to visit me in the summer and I have the AC on...she sits on the couch covered with a blanket because she says she is freezing and it might be set to 70 degrees. She has to have blankets piled on to sleep.
She sure wouldn't like my house in the winter. It's so old and drafty and has such a pitiful excuse for insulation that I couldn't get it to 70 degrees warm if I ran the furnace non stop if it is below freezing outside. I rarely set it to 65 in the winter during the day and turn it down to 55 at night. The bedroom gets even colder though...windows facing north and east and no insulation.

I have never heard of any lung issues from not using added humidity. For years people used cpap without a humidifier successfully I guess and I think the humidifier was mainly added to help with those people who had nasal mucosa issues because the mucosa got too dried out.
So mainly a nasal issue I think anyway. I would be in a world of hurt without added humidity but there are lots of people who do very well with minimal to none added moisture. I figure whatever floats your boat is just fine.

I travel a lot and leave the humidifier home is south of the Mason-Dixon Line unless it's Arizona. At home I keep my humidifier on 5 to prevent nose bleeds.

Passover humidity is the humidity level experienced in Goshen the night when Israel was spared while all the firstborn people from every family in Egypt died. Following the turning of the nile into blood, the humidity was quite unusual!