Heated humidifier, Can it really help?

hlvan · Post by **hlvan** » Sat May 28, 2005 7:27 am

What's the deal, I have been using cpap for Five years,without a heated
humidifier.
Does the heat help?

Guest · Post by **Guest** » Sat May 28, 2005 7:37 am

Two schools of thought:

1. If it ain't broke, don't fix it.

2. An excellent poster on this forum, LDuyer, once wrote: ".... a heated humidifier is essential, if you don't already have one. This treatment is forcing air through your nose and throat, so it dries out everything. That moisture needs to be replaced, even if you don't have it heated much."

ozij · Post by **ozij** » Sat May 28, 2005 9:08 am

Here's some info - and it has a bibliography in the end.
Humidification in CPAP therapy

O.

LDuyer · Post by **LDuyer** » Sat May 28, 2005 9:50 am

Wow!
I've just been quoted and complimented. That sure had made my day!!
Thanks!

But I would like to ask if you are using any humidifier, even one that is not heated? For some people the heated air actually causes problems for them, sometimes making nasal irritations or problems worse. And also, it depends on the envirnoment, how much humidity is in your air normally.

But yes, I always recommend the humidifier. You can always use it without it heated. I did that last nite, in fact. I just didn't turn on the heat, but let the air pass over the humidifier water. For some that also helps. It is the addition of moisture that helps, whether heated or not. And with the heated humidifier, you can adjust the levels for yourself. Personally, I think it's worth it. You might find you don't need it much. But I figure better to have one, just in case.

Linda,
who is so honored at being so nicely quoted

neversleeps · Post by **neversleeps** » Sun May 29, 2005 9:56 am

You're very deserving of it, Linda. I was the one who quoted you, but got guested because I'm a big dork.

Have a great holiday weekend.

LDuyer · Post by **LDuyer** » Sun May 29, 2005 10:03 am

neversleeps wrote:You're very deserving of it, Linda. I was the one who quoted you, but got guested because I'm a big dork.

Have a great holiday weekend.

Gee, I shoulda known.
You've always said so many nice things about me.

You are no dork. You are funny, compassionate, appreciative, and quite the heifer (couldn't resist).

Hahah.

You are so nice. Thanks.

Linda

neversleeps · Post by **neversleeps** » Sun May 29, 2005 10:42 am

MOO. MOO.

tomjax · Post by **tomjax** » Sun May 29, 2005 11:35 am

I live in Jacksonville, Fl and had a passive unit that came with my cpap.
I used it or sometime, but saw little difference than when I did not use it, so I stopped.

I am convinced a heated humidifier is of benefit to some people, but not in all cases.
One reason is that I use a Breeze and have no leaking of blowing of air that probably increases drying.
One confusing recurring posting is about all that air being forced down your throat. There is no difference in the velocity of air entering your mouth, only an increased pressure.
In the absense of a leak, I am confused how it dries out the mouth.
It happens occasionally to me and if i concentreate on it, i can feel a bit of air moving in my mouth. This should not be if the seal by the tongue is working properly. Only when I can detect this very slight air do I have a problem. Most mornings I wake up with no dryness at all.
I simply see no benefit in my case. Others may. Perhaps the humidity here has something to do with it.

As far as cleaning that some insist on doing eveery day. I clean mine about ever 3 to4 months or when bugs start crawling in my nostril. Ain't no real reason to be so super clean. Mother nature does a fine job of protecting us.

nodding off · Post by **nodding off** » Sun May 29, 2005 7:03 pm

My experience is that a heated humidifier has made a dramatic difference in my treatment. For 9 years I used a passive humidifier and was always stuffed up, both using and not using it. This past January or February I upgraded to a heated humidifier and have absolutely no issues with stuffiness any more. I consume almost the entire tank every night. Even during allergy season I only had to use a ffm for less than a week this year instead of over a month. If you have any issues with stuffiness try one. It makes this treatment extremely comfortable for me.

Heidi · Post by **Heidi** » Sun May 29, 2005 9:03 pm

I have the heated humidifier. I only use it heated during the winter months. I am very hot blooded and when I turn the heat on I just feel way too hot even at the lowest setting, so I guess I'm using it as a passover, I still always put water in it.

Heidi
Sleeping with the Enemy

ahujudybear · Post by **ahujudybear** » Mon May 30, 2005 9:11 am

Guess I sort of agree with Heidi so far. The heated feature really warms you up - often too much.

But I wonder.... would the volume of water in the tank make a difference when just using it as a pass-over humidifier? What I'm thinking is, if the water level is closer to where the air is entering and leaving the chamber, would that create more humidity in the air as it leaves the chamber? (I mean with the heater off)

Still learning about all this stuff
- JB

rpalmer · Post by **rpalmer** » Wed Jun 01, 2005 11:07 am

ozij wrote:Here's some info - and it has a bibliography in the end.
Humidification in CPAP therapy

Thanks for the excellent URL, O. Looks like a great resource.

Rol

JimH · Post by **JimH** » Wed Jun 01, 2005 10:01 pm

The heated humidifier was a godsend for me. Stopped the continuous sneezing and runny nose syndrome I got from the air pressure, cut down my dry mouth and helped me sleep better.

IWannaSleep · Post by **IWannaSleep** » Wed Jun 01, 2005 11:24 pm

Without my heated humidifier I wouldn't be able to use xPAP therapy. After just a few hours without it my sinuses swell shut and I sneeze continuously. Takes nearly 2 days to recover from a couple hours on APAP without humidifier.

Ron

littlebaddow · Post by **littlebaddow** » Thu Jun 02, 2005 12:34 am

Like many posters, I have found a heated humidifier made a positive difference to comfort. Without it, I suffered nasal stuffiness and a sore, dry nose. With it, these problems diminished significantly, though on particularly chilly nights, the condensation gets into my nose and wakes me up! Fortunately, for me the rain out problem is far less frequent and irritating than was the stuffiness and dryness, so it's a good trade off.

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