I really need some help!

[sister]

I have been suffering from severe allergies for years,I have [as mach as possible] an allergy free home. I am even allergic to dust. I run a dehumidifier in my home all the time which helps me with my sneezing and head running all the time. Believe me, if i don't run it my head runs so bad! Now my question is this,I have to have this dehumidifier to be able to function yet now they tell me to run a humidifier on the c-pap! I feel like i am running one against the other.
I tried one night not using the humidifier but I couldn't do that because i already suffer from dry mouth and sore throat. I am really confused as I have always tried to stay away from humidity and now i sleep with it every night! Does anyone else have this problem? I could really use some help!

[KC5cychris]

I think maybe you are looking at apples and oranges here. We the human body is naturally wet internal as we are 98% water. yes the lower humidity in the house is great for the allergies, but a little in the nose or mouth through the night is helpful keeping us from drying out.
just a thought

[jdm2857]

Since the dehumidifier makes the air inside your house drier, your need for the CPAP humidifier increases. The amount of water that the CPAP humidifier puts into the air is small compared to what the dehumidifier removes. Just compare the amount of water used by the CPAP humidifier to the amount exiting the dehumidifier. So you're not going to make the house significantly more humid, just your nasal passages.

[Janknitz]

Normal breathing warms and humidifies the air before it goes into our throat and lungs. The pressure from the CPAP overwhelms the normal system and our body can't keep up with the volume of air being delivered into our throats. So the humidifier has to provide that for us.

The trick with the humidifier is to use just "enough' without using "too much". It takes experimentation to find that balance, and then things like exceptionally dry or wet weather or a pressure change can throw it off.

Find a middle setting for your humidifier and see how you feel the next morning. If it's not right, turn it up or down just one notch and try again that night. If you feel a little bit better, but not enough, try another notch down. But, if you felt worse after turning it down, try turning it the opposite way, again just one notch per night. It may take several nights to find your "sweet spot" where you are getting just enough humidification to keep you from having a parched throat, but not so much that you are getting more congested.

When you are trying to adjust the humidifier, don't change other things too--like a new mask, a new pressure, new pillow, etc. Try to change just one thing at a time to learn what effect it has for you. As you are getting closer to dialing in the right humidification, try giving each new setting a few nights instead of just one.

[LoQ]

Let me just join the chorus here. The one thing I wanted to add that may not have been said yet (or maybe it was but I didn't see it) is that the things you are allergic to THRIVE in higher humidity. Like dust mites. So you do need to keep your house dry, and don't stop running that dehumidifer. It will help to keep the allergens in your house lower.

I agree with the other comments in favor of using your humidifier with CPAP. Turn it up as high as you need it to sleep comfortably. It won't play a significant role in the house-wide humidity level. Allergen-producers are not going to take up residence in your CPAP equipment unless you don't keep it clean. Make sure you wash it occasionally.

[Julie]

And the last word is.. you don't NEED to use the humidifier at all IF you can be comfortable without it. It's not therapy, just something a lot of people feel better using. I have never used mine (live near the water) and neither have others here who don't feel the need. But don't deliberately not try it because you think it's counterproductive to your other regime without giving it a chance.

[massive]

And if using your CPAP without the humidifier is a problem, try using the humidifier at zero (or no heat). I started using a CPAP with a humidifier before they had heated humidifier chambers and I can't get used to breathing warm air. I need things cool or at least room temperature, so I clean my humidifier once a week so nothing funky starts growing in there and keep it set at zero.