Sick Days

gailzee · Post by **gailzee** » Wed Jan 12, 2005 12:11 pm

What does one do when somoeone has the cold/flu, sinus infections, things like this? Do you stop using CPAP or how do you breathe?

Waverly · Post by **Waverly** » Wed Jan 12, 2005 6:25 pm

Thru my nose and mouth like always. Unless you have another way .

Sickness is not an option..I tell them to keep their sick kids away from me.

If they are at work I tell them to go home, I cant afford to get what they've got. Its just common courtesy.

Stay away from smokers and establishments that cater to them. Hotels, restaurants. etc.

Wash your hands often.

Dont shake hands . They will get over it faster than you will get over whatever you got from them by shaking hands.

Keep the heat down in winter. Wear a sweater.
Same for cooling in summer. Just because its 100 outside doesnt mean it needs to be 65 inside.

Dont have any pets. The same cat or dog that is licking your face was licking its rear end a few minutes ago. Where did your cat come from before he jumped onto your table where you eat.

Practice Bio Security

Waverly

rested gal · Post by **rested gal** » Wed Jan 12, 2005 7:11 pm

Gail, if I have a cold that prevents me from breathing easily through a nasal mask, I use a full face mask. Despite the name "full face", a FF mask covers only the nose and mouth - not the entire face.

The FF mask I like is the ResMed Ultra Mirage FF. It lets me breath easily through my mouth when my nose is too congested to get air through.

Waverly gave good advice. I read it while petting the cat with one hand and lightly tapping the dog under the desk with my foot.

wading thru the muck! · Post by **wading thru the muck!** » Wed Jan 12, 2005 7:45 pm

I occured to me today as I visited a clients office full of "sick" people that I have not been sick since I've been using cpap. I am exposed to "it all" - 5 kids in two schools, a dog, lots of public contact and hand-shaking. I hope it continues!

garym053 · Post by **garym053** » Wed Jan 12, 2005 8:06 pm

Hey Wading, I was thinking the same thing about two weeks ago then, BAM! Flu, Head cold, chest cold, Sore throat, congestion hit me on New Year's Eve. I do think I've been much more illness-free since becoming a hosehead.

Gail, I don't own a FF mask. Don't know why, I have one or two of every other model!! I use a hot steamy bath, Breath Right Strips, a squirt or two of Afrin and either my Swift or Activa mask with the humidifier turned up as high as I can go and not drown in the rainout.. Seems to work okay at opening up the nasal passages enough to breath. I would NOT stop using the CPAP. If I had to I would get a FF mask before I would stop using the CPAP.

wading thru the muck! · Post by **wading thru the muck!** » Wed Jan 12, 2005 8:18 pm

Gary,

Thanks for the encouragement

I know I'm not "out of the woods", but normally I would have gotten something by now. Everybody in my house has been sick (except me).

Guest · Post by **Guest** » Wed Jan 12, 2005 9:08 pm

HI Guys:
Waverly, you are a hoot. Glad I don't have a dog or cat. You have to know I mean nasal/mouth breathing while sick with some sort of bug/flu/cold whatever. I do ''get it'' use the mask/n. pillows even if you have a bug......do not ever stop using it.

gailzee wrote:What does one do when somoeone has the cold/flu, sinus infections, things like this? Do you stop using CPAP or how do you breathe?

gailzee · Post by **gailzee** » Wed Jan 12, 2005 9:14 pm

Wesley:
You're a hoot. Glad I don't have a cat or dog.
ha.

Waverly wrote:Thru my nose and mouth like always. Unless you have another way .

Sickness is not an option..I tell them to keep their sick kids away from me.

If they are at work I tell them to go home, I cant afford to get what they've got. Its just common courtesy.

Stay away from smokers and establishments that cater to them. Hotels, restaurants. etc.

Wash your hands often.

Dont shake hands . They will get over it faster than you will get over whatever you got from them by shaking hands.

Keep the heat down in winter. Wear a sweater.
Same for cooling in summer. Just because its 100 outside doesnt mean it needs to be 65 inside.

Dont have any pets. The same cat or dog that is licking your face was licking its rear end a few minutes ago. Where did your cat come from before he jumped onto your table where you eat.

Practice Bio Security

Waverly

sharonokc · Post by **sharonokc** » Thu Jan 13, 2005 12:09 pm

stuffy noses are the worse for cpap users. You can use over the counter decongestents for only 3 days and then they stop working. The breath right strips help hold your nares open. There are also some other aids which hold the nose open from the inside.
Heated humidifiers help prevent some stuffiness. So do antihistimines and nasal steroid sprays. The best thing I have found is a hypertonic saline nasal wash. This is a salt water solution that has more salt in it than your nasal membranes. There are commercial brands and homemade formulas for this. One essentially wash the allergens out, and often the mucus.

Despite all these solutions I still have a cold currently and am using my full face mask.

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