Sore throat....is it possible for CPAP to cause it?

[Maxie]

Before this weekend I would have said no but now I'm not so sure as I woke up during the night with a very bad sore throat. My GP doc says not strep and when I mentioned CPAP, she said she doesn't know. I use a moderate humidity and I've never had a bit of trouble before but now that I have this wicked sore throat I don't really know what to do for relief. My doc recommended tylenol but I don't do very well with tylenol so I was hoping that I might get some suggestions here. It "could" be a virus, according to the doc but at least she was honest about not being sure about it. At first I thought I needed to cut back on my humidity and I did that but I wasn't happy with how it felt so I returned to my normal setting. I should add that K keep my mouth covered with a bandana while sleeping to keep my mouth closed.

[Julie]

If you sleep with your mouth open - and it can begin when you're on cpap when air is being pushed in by the machine, you will get very dry and easily could have a sore throat... you will also lose any benefit of using cpap, so I would consider possibly taping for a few nights to see if it helps and then look into a full face mask vs a nasal one... quite a common occurrence!

[chunkyfrog]

I still would not rule out allergy or infection; keep your doc on speed dial.
Sometimes, they like to let it shake out by itself.

[archangle]

Lots of people get dry throat from CPAP. Especially if air leaks out of your mouth. Do you use the software? Check for leaks.

Lots of other things change with CPAP like sinus drainage. Some of these might affect your throat.

You really shouldn't get an infection from CPAP, but it is theoretically possible.

[avi123]

There is no way to prove it that you got a sore throat from a CPAP. What about from another person?

[Wonderbeastlett]

I can see how a cpap could cause a sore throat. If you've ever lived in a cold climate cold,moist air causes sore throats. Usually you have heated humidifiers but I guess its possible. If it was the cpap causing an infection wouldn't you also have an infection in your lungs?

[pacificpap]

I'm currently two weeks into CPAP and have a very sore throat today. It's improved somewhat since I switched to a nasal mask, but today the doctor said my vocal cords are inflamed and I see an ENT tomorrow. I know correlation is not causation, but it'd be a huge coincidence if this wasn't cpap-related.

[Xney]

Mouth leaks can definitely cause a sore throat. The dryness from it irritates it.

[codinqueen]

YES, MOUTH BREATHING WITH cpap GOING OUT YOUR MOUTH WILL CAUSE SORE THROAT. To tame that sore throat, go to the healthfood store and buy some ThroatCoat tea. They prob also have it on Amazon.

[Todzo]

Before this weekend I would have said no but now I'm not so sure as I woke up during the night with a very bad sore throat. My GP doc says not strep and when I mentioned CPAP, she said she doesn't know. I use a moderate humidity and I've never had a bit of trouble before but now that I have this wicked sore throat I don't really know what to do for relief. My doc recommended tylenol but I don't do very well with tylenol so I was hoping that I might get some suggestions here. It "could" be a virus, according to the doc but at least she was honest about not being sure about it. At first I thought I needed to cut back on my humidity and I did that but I wasn't happy with how it felt so I returned to my normal setting. I should add that K keep my mouth covered with a bandana while sleeping to keep my mouth closed.

Hi Maxie!

One thing often associated with CPAP use is stomach jucies getting up into the airway. I confirmed this happening to me one fall by taking pictures of the back of my throat at the beginning and end of the night.

The cure cost me less than two dollars - two bricks from a home building supply store now under the head of my bed raising that portion about three inches. With all the talk about "rostral fluid shift" (fluid moving away from the feet and toward the nose over the night) - who knows - this may help with that as well.

It also helps to eat less before bed time.

The other thing I have experianced is unstable breathing. In short, breathing becomes heavier and heavier - sometimes I would wake up breathing really hard with my heart beating quite fast. Even if you do not wake up the extra breathing will dry out and irritate the airway passage of which the throat is part.

To help with this I:

Do what I can to reduce stress!!!
Stay away from violent media.
Do interval training.
Eat anti-inflammitory and anti-oxidant foods.
Do Optimal Breathing Training using a pulse oximeter to find the lowest heart rate at a given exercion level (the hip worn pulse oximeter is also great for the interval training)
Keep a close watch on my CPAP data for high air usage and obtain pressure reductions when necessary (like recently due to weight loss and higher altitude from a move).

Here is hoping you find a good answer!

Todzo

[rosacer]

Maxi, do you have allergies? Is your humidifier working properly?

I have allergies I need to have an hypoallergenic filter on my machine, I have been using a filter made from N95 masks (I know this has been a polemic point in the past). I changed machine to the S9 and I had forgotten to made and install my home made filter, I had a sore throat until I remember to do it. I had the Resmed hypoallergenic filter in he machine but my throat was in trouble any way.

Once the humidification system (not the humidifier) from the former machine started working weird then I had a sore throat until I get the machine exchanged.

[Samba]

When I had a nasal mask I had a sore throat everytime I used it. Since I switched to a FFM that problem went away.

[OldLincoln]

XPAP can definitely cause a sore throat as I can attest. I set my humidifier by the throat condition as seasons change. Low humidity in the winter when the air is driest = sore throat without fail.

[Sir NoddinOff]

I got a nasty sore throat my third week of CPAP, immediately followed by a moderate bronchial infection which lasted a week. This was an odd coincidence since my last bout of flu was in 1991 - I put it all down to CPAP. I've heard several such tales from CPAP users, therefore I think it's worth considering that it's just ones body adapting to something new and challenging... maybe it gets thrown off its natural patterns which opens the gateway to infections? I'm not a doctor, but I'd advise just ride thru it and use OTC meds to handle the symptoms. If things progress to a serious level, get medical help. The dry mouth angle from mouth breathing is also not a bad line to pursue. Good luck with your treatment.