Humidification advice needed

[MurrayNevada]

The Mojave Desert has me beat. I need to begin using humidification in my treatment and know not where to begin. I have the humidifier tank and heated hose but now only used it as a pass over humidifier with a standard 8’ hose. I have the clinician’s manual and am comfortable changing settings but don’t know what settings to use beginning this experiment. My questions:

What settings should I use on my AirSense 10 (auto or manual? – Humidity #s” etc.)”
Do I need to use the heated hose?
Any other recommendations?

Thank you

[Pugsy]

I would start with "auto" for humidification and manual temperature control for the heated hose. That's what I do...because I don't necessarily need or want warmer air in the summer.

You need the heated hose to get the auto setting to be available.

Auto is about a 4 or 5 when compared to manual settings so it is sort of a middle of the road setting when it comes to humidity.
Hose air temp can be as low as it goes if you are comfortable with it and the likelihood of having rain out isn't huge unless your air conditioning is set quite low. Even if you set the hose temp as low as it goes...you still get the starting point of the ambient temperature and the machine can't make it cooler anyway. That's what I do in the summer....now winter when the ambient bedroom temp is a lot cooler then I have to re-evaluate the hose air temp.

[MurrayNevada]

I just ordered the heated tubing from our sponsor. Can you suggest settings for me while using the standard hose until the heated one arrives?

[ChicagoGranny]

I just ordered the heated tubing from our sponsor. Can you suggest settings for me while using the standard hose until the heated one arrives?

The range is 1 - 8. A good starting point would be 4 or 5. Adjust the next night if needed.

What is the ambient temperature and humidity in your bedroom?

[MurrayNevada]

"What is the ambient temperature and humidity in your bedroom?"
During summer months humidity is usually less than 20%. I keep the house at 71 degrees during summer.

[ChicagoGranny]

I would start with 4 or 5. For most people, finding the right humidity level is a process of trial and error.

Make sure you don't have an HVAC outlet blowing too near the CPAP machine.

[Pugsy]

I agree, 4 or 5 while waiting on the heated hose.

[MurrayNevada]

Set the humidification at 5 last night and dry mouth was very much reduced. I feel I slept better with less awakenings. Approximately 2/3 of the full water tank evaporated. I used a RemZzzs liner for comfort and the absorption of excess moisture (I love Karen's Pad-a-Cheek products but the mask liner is too slippery causing my big mouth to drop out of the bottom of the mask). Expecting to soon receive my ClimateLineAir Heated Tube for AirSense 10 and have questions:

When I attach it to my AirSense 10 is that all I need do? Does connecting it automatically set the machine to proper levels? Any advice on setup is appreciated.

[Pugsy]

When you attach the heated hose to the machine it will recognize it immediately and most likely set the humidity to the default humidity and hose air temps from the factory...both humidity and hose air temp will get set to "auto".

You will need to go in and change the hose air temp to manual if you don't like the auto temp. Auto temp is designed mainly for rain out prevention at auto humidity setting...I found that it was a bit too warm for comfort in the summer and unless the bedroom air temp is really cool that warmth isn't needed to prevent rain out.

[ChicagoGranny]

Do I need to use the heated hose?

It's a little late to be asking you, but why do you think you need a heated hose?

Back when I used a humidifier, I could not stand the extra heat the hose brought to my bed. During the winter, if I let it get very cold (58F) in my bedroom, the heated hose and moisture felt good. (Some years back, I quit using humidification altogether.)

[Pugsy]

Using the heated hose allows for more consistent humidity delivery. Less variation than when relying only on the heater plate and ambient room humidity sensor trying to maintain whatever the humidity level selected.

I don't like that air too warm in the summer but sure feels good in the winter.

What I do is turn the hose air temp way down in the summer and up in the winter and my humidity delivered stays consistent.
I learned that my nasal mucosa get rather ugly when the humidity varies even just a little bit.
So I get the same humidity all year long and only vary the hose air temp as needed for comfort depending on the season.

Right now I have the hose air temp set as low as it will go...60 I think. Now the machine doesn't give me 60 because it still has to start out with ambient room air temp and there is no provision in the machine to take warmer air and cool it down...So even though I might have it set at 60 I am actually getting the 72 degrees that I have my air conditioner set at.

[D.H.]

The primary function of the heated hose is to prevent rain-out (that you might otherwise experience) or to allow the delivery of additional humidification without fear of rain-out.

[ChicagoGranny]

I learned that my nasal mucosa get rather ugly when the humidity varies even just a little bit.

I think both of us are anomalies. My sleep doc is appalled that I don't use a humidifier. She brings it up every year at my annual visit.

My GP told me one time to make sure to keep the humidifier clean and use clean water. He didn't know what to say when I told him I had no need for a humidifier. His house is the third down from me, and he knows how dry it gets during the cold winter when our heat is running.

When I stay home all day during the winter, my nasal passages will get dry late afternoon/evening from the heat running a lot. But, we turn the heat (gas) way down at night, and my nasal passages don't get dry.

[ChicagoGranny]

The primary function of the heated hose is to prevent rain-out (that you might otherwise experience) or to allow the delivery of additional humidification without fear of rain-out.

Don't overlook what Pugsy said - it provides consistent delivery of humidity.

[Pugsy]

I think both of us are anomalies.

Probably.

When I lived in Las Vegas (pre cpap) my nose was miserable the entire time and I had frequent little nose bleeds from the nasal mucosa just simply drying out and getting crusty and bleeding a little.
When it got dried out a little congestion would also be present. Annoying as hell.
I used a lot of Simply Saline type of stuff.
Still use it now but not nearly as much.

I cannot imagine using cpap in the Vegas area without humidifier...heck, I had disastrous results just from turning that old M series down to 1 back early in my therapy and I was here in Missouri where 40% humidity is considered "dry" air.

Humidity needs really is one of those things with a huge YMMV sticker and there's not a right or wrong to it...there's only what works or doesn't work for the individual and each person has to figure out what it takes to make their nasal mucosa happy.