Has Using the Humidifier Lowered Your AHI?

[mikeandtina59]

I started using my humidifier on Christmas Eve and my AHI was .8 - the lowest ever.
What a wonderful, unexpected Christmas present - I felt wonderful!
I used it again last night and it was 1.8 -- still a great number for me.

I will continue to use the humidifer and see if my apenas remain low.
But I'm curious if anyone has had a similar experiece.
Have using the humidifier affected your AHI?

Thanks for any and all comments,

Tina

[harry33]

as a CPAP user since 1995, Ive never used a humidifier and consider that as long as you dont mouth breathe, there is no real need for one, your nostrils still humidify the air and IMO, humidifiers are a waste of effort and give a placebo effect only, and I live in a low humidity area

[Drowsy Dancer]

I haven't seen a direct correlation between humidifier use or settings and my AHI, let alone been felt comfortable ascribing any causational relationship.

Indirectly, however, I am more comfortable using a humidifier (I experience less nasal congestion) so it has helped me be very compliant in my use of CPAP. So in that sense, yeah, it's affected my AHI. Because it "makes" me use my machine.

[pap4life]

First of all, congrats on a nice Christmas present.

Designed mainly to be a comfort piece of equipment, and since the humidifier is a seperate component of the CPAP; I can vaguely try to realize that , just maybe, since the humidification is perhaps making you more comfortable, that your airway is a tad more relaxed therefor reducing the restriction allowing for a more freedom of air that of course reduces your AHI number.

I hope your Christmas Present last all year long for you.

[BlackSpinner]

Anyone who has lived in a northern climate with a heated house knows that humidity is much more then comfort. Lack of humidity in the air you breath will cause swelling and there bye create lovely warm cavities for bacteria the breed. And that is not mentioning the nose bleeds and other wonderful uncomfortable issues lack of humidity causes.

Obviously if your nasal passages are not swollen your AHI will be lower.

[idamtnboy]

I will continue to use the humidifer and see if my apenas remain low.
But I'm curious if anyone has had a similar experiece.
Have using the humidifier affected your AHI?

I believe for pretty much everyone here the humidifier was automatically included in the Rx for a CPAP, and very few have chosen to not use it. I doubt you will get very many responses from those who have tried both with and without humidifier. But it will be interesting to see if anyone has, and what their experience was.

[osmium sleeper]

Lack of humidity just from a heated wintertime house in a mild climate causes significant nasal congestion and bleeding for me. Even using a lower humidifier setting on my CPAP will cause an inability for me to breathe through my nose.

[soundersfootballclub]

I am sure it does indirectly. I suffer from nasal congestion and I'm sure the humidified air has kept my night time stuffy nose in check more than not. And that indirectly helps me breathe and sleep better each night which will ultimately lower my AHI.

[Janknitz]

"I believe for pretty much everyone here the humidifier was automatically included in the Rx for a CPAP, and very few have chosen to not use it. I doubt you will get very many responses from those who have tried both with and without humidifier. But it will be interesting to see if anyone has, and what their experience was."

There are plenty of people who post on this forum who have tried with and without and chose not to use the humidifier. Nothing wrong with that, it's a matter of personal comfort.

I had to do a home titration for one month without a humidifier and I found it was torture-very dried out nasal passages.

I just spent 3 days in the desert, and by the third day had bloody nose. (This was before I accidentally let the humidifier run dry!). It DOES make a difference for me.

[Mary Z]

Hasn't made any difference for me, but it's an interesting question. I would not have thought of a connection between humidification and AHI myself.

[mikeandtina59]

My AHI continues to be unusually low while using the humidifier.
My doctor recently told me that I have a very deviated septum - perhaps that is part of the problem. Perhaps the moist air opens up the closed nasal passages....

Tina