Newbie to CPAPTALK!

[HelenLeona]

Here is an update to this post: It's now August 13, and I am still suffering from headcolds. I started using my machine and nasal pillow in May and have had about four terrible colds. Sometimes I just have days where I sneeze a lot. There is always some congestion involved. This Tuesday, I noticed I was congested and by Thursday (today) I'm suffering from a full-blown cold. I'm at my wit's end. If I get a cold every week or so, I'll have to stop using my CPAP machine. This is counter productive! I may be getting a good night's sleep, but then I get a bad cold and can't use the machine anyway because of congestions and runny nose. I'd appreciate any help anyone can give!


Hello everyone,
I'm new to the world of sleep apnea. Pulmonary Solutions, the provider of my CPAP machine and equipment, recommended this website and I'm so glad they did! There is a wealth of information here and I'm grateful to have a place to go to ask questions and get answers! This is my third week of using my machine and nasal pillow. The first week, I had a nasal mask that I didn't like at all. It was loud, and my face broke out around my nose and on my forehead. I went back to Pulmonary Solutions and they gave me a nasal pillow. That is working a lot better - it's very very quiet and much easier on my face. I do have a question about the humidifier though. I'm using a heated humidifier and I always use distilled water, wash the humidifer and my nasal pillow nightly, disinfect weekly, etc. I do all the things I'm supposed to do. One night, I decided to try sleeping with the humidifer off. This must have been a mistake, because the next morning my mouth was very dry and I thought I had caught a cold. I sneezed and blew my nose for two days after that. Last night, I didn't fill the humidifier full enough and, sometime during the night, the water ran out. Today, I'm feeling as I did last week - as if I have a cold. This actually seems worse than a cold!! I have sinus problems and woke up congested before I was diagnosed with sleep apnea. I'm guessing I should make sure my humidifier is full and sleep with it on every night. Apparently, I need that moist warm air. Does anyone out there have any thoughts or advice on this?

[roster]

......... Apparently, I need that moist warm air. ........

Yep, many of us do.

Also, you need to figure out if you are mouthbreathing/leaking. It sounds like you are getting dry mouth only on the nights you don't use humidity. It is possible on those nights, the nasal dryness and maybe some congestion cause you to mouthbreathe.

Others of us breathe most nights and need a full face mask which covers nose and mouth.

Pulmonary solutions did a very good thing by referring you here.

Welcome!

[WindFlyer]

Hello and welcome. Yes, the humidifier is generally needed since the higher pressure naturally decreases the relative humidity of the air itself, and the movement of the air stream causes things to dry out as well. I've found that in the summer months the air has enough natural moisture that I can take my humidifier out of the circuit and be okay- makes things easier for travel, that's for sure. From about October through May I generally need it, though.