6 weeks on cpap -- sinuses are a mess, please help

[JMCobb11]

I've been using ResMed Airsense 10 for Her for about 6 weeks. I'm using nasal pillows, humidifier, and a pressure of 5. I am sleeping better than I have in years!

About an hour after I wake up, my sinuses start to swell up and i get congested, then my ears hurt and my head aches and within another hour I am miserable and feel sick. My GP put me on a antibiotic thinking it may be a sinus infection -- but I feel like the CPAP is irritating my sinuses to the extreme.

I have a return visit with the sleep doc in a couple of weeks, but I am desperate for help.

Thanks in advance

[Pugsy]

Are you using the heated hose?
What is the humidity setting? If using the heated hose what is the temperature setting?

Google "cpap rhinitis" and start reading.

The nasal mucosa sometimes needs more moisture and sometimes needs less moisture...and there is no right or wrong there is only what works for the individual.
If you are using the heated hose...most likely they left the humidity setting on the default setting which works for a lot of people (that's why it is the default) but you may need even more moisture or you might even need less moisture.

And yes...I have experienced what you are experiencing and it mimics the worst allergy attack or sinus infection you can imagine. It's fixable but we have to figure out if your nasal mucosa wants less or more humidity.

In the meantime...get something like Simply Saline and use it often during the day to help the nasal mucosa get back to normal and treat any symptoms you are having just like you would if you had a cold or allergy attack. Oral meds, flonase, etc....It can take a few days for the nasal mucosa to heal up and get back to normal. For me it took 3 full days of misery. I happen to need lots of moisture. I get these symptoms if I forget to add water to the tank and it goes dry during the night. Doesn't happen often but occasionally I forget.

[Julie]

Turn your humidifier way down or even off - it's very likely causing the congestion - many of us don't need it at all depending on local climatic conditions.

[cub4bearin]

Sorry for hijacking this post. I’m starting to wonder if I have the same proble. Same machine. 10 days ago I got scratchy throat and sinus problems. First I thought it was typical cold. But the only difference is, that now, 10 days later my throat is fine but my sinus never stop producing mucus.
It’s clear mucus. Never happened to me before. If I was that sick I would usually get other colors (mucus) and know it’s cold.
I have my resmed set for AUTO with tube and humidifier. Now, tonight I’ll try go with lower temp on humidifier and maybe OFF heating for tube?
So tired of cleaning my nose and it’s starting to hurt now to blow it anymore.

[Julie]

I would leave a minimal amt of heat on (certainly not doing so would not help anything) but turn down/off the water.

[cub4bearin]

I would leave a minimal amt of heat on (certainly not doing so would not help anything) but turn down/off the water.

I would assume that the tube heat should be very close to room temp to avoid condesantion,
Correct?
I’ll definitelly set water temp at 1 and see if there is any difference. Thank you.

[Julie]

I'd give it a couple of days in order to clear up existing symptoms... but as far as heat goes, I just (personally) feel that cold, even somewhat 'wet' air would not be helpful and could make you feel lousy, but also not knowing your individual situation climate-wise, temp, humidity, etc. cannot comment further.

[JMCobb11]

Ive tried several days with no humidity, several with low/medium, and several with high. With none my sinuses really hurt, so ive settled on a low setting.

I just bought some flonase, hoping that will help.

[Pugsy]

I would assume that the tube heat should be very close to room temp to avoid condesantion,
Correct?

It depends on the humidity setting and what the room temp is. You will just have to play with it.

My bedroom air temp right now...low 60s high 50s...and I use the setting of 6 on my Airsense and I have to use max hose air temp or close to it to avoid condensation...so it's above 80 degrees Fah right now..I think 84 last I looked. It's a bit warm feeling but that warm feeling is less annoying (I get used to it quickly) than waking up with a freight train in the hose and sucking water up my nose...and it's not all that easy to get all the water out of the hose to stop the noise. So a little warmer initially is much less annoying than the condensation that would likely happen without the warmer.

Now if your house/bedroom temp is like my mom's...75 degrees...you might not need to add any heat to the hose at all.

[JMCobb11]

I dont have a heated hose...didnt even know there is such a thing. Sounds like i should try it.

[Pugsy]

The heated hose allows for greater customization and consistent delivery of whatever preferred humidity a person wants or needs.

Example...my nose likes a lot of moisture so I use a high setting but in the winter that high humidity setting and my cold bedroom usually means a lot of condensation issues in the mask or hose or both. Highly annoying.
Now I could reduce the humidity setting but my nose doesn't like less.
I could increase the ambient room temp but I don't sleep so great in a hot room. I sleep better in cold.
So using the heated hose allows me to warm the hose air in the winter and in the summer when that warmer air isn't needed or wanted I can turn the hose air temp down but all the time the humidity being delivered to my nose stays the same and it's the consistency that is important to the nasal mucosa.
They don't like change at all. Sometimes when I forget to add water and the tank goes dry I get a real rude reminder how ugly the nasal mucosa can be when they get dried out.

I don't know if your nasal mucosa like more or less moisture but they probably don't like change.

Then once you figure out how much they want then a heated hose will allow a much more consistent delivery of whatever your nose likes.
And if you are like me and like a cold bedroom...helps prevent condensation or even just what I call ice cube nose syndrome. The non heated air is simply uncomfortable and can cause discomfort in the nose. For me it hurt. Made my nose hurt having the cold air blow up my nose.

[JMCobb11]

thanks for all your good advice. The flonase made a huge improvement. I'm going to look it a heated hose also.

[dwood003]

I had similar problems when I started CPAP with nasal pillows, it wasn’t until I got software that I found the problem. The air was going in my nose and out my mouth. My solution was to tape my mouth, not that simple. 1st I tried a chin strap, tightened it so tight that I sheared off a fixed bridge. Thru trial and error and checking my software every day, I found what worked for me.
I remove my partial and place POLIGRIP denture adhesive strips between my lips, they are a little too wide, I trim them, so they stay out of my mouth. Run them under warm water till they are soft and sticky, place them on your bottom lip so they cross where they meet, then gently close lips.
Because I’m missing the front top 6 teeth the taping again thru trial and error is critical, its purpose is to prevent the strips from blowing out. I use 2 types of the 3M micropore, the blue one which comes of the skin easily and the clear tape overlapping around the edge about 1/8th of an inch. Lastly the chin strap, its purpose is to prevent the tape from being disturbed, just tight enough to keep it in place.
To much heated humidity will melt the strips, most of the time I use air over water with no heat.
In the morning wash face over sink with soapy cold water, strips should come off intact no mess.
Find out what works for you and stick with it.