If you have congestion/sinus/cold ???

wolftracker · Post by **wolftracker** » Thu May 18, 2006 10:33 am

Hi,

I have the CL2. Been on it 5 days now.
I was thinking (that can be dangerous)

But what happens when you get a stuff nose/cold/sinus.

I bet the nasal mask will not work.

Do I need to get some other kind of mask before I develop my
first cold.

What mask would work best during difficult sinus days?

Thanks, I am learning so much from you guys.

Wolf

dllfo · Post by **dllfo** » Thu May 18, 2006 12:51 pm

Yep, me too.

My nose was stopped up last night and this morning. I have a FF mask, but
prefer the nose mask...Mirage Swift.

What do the more experienced people do? Standard cold remedies, but then
there is the mask.

Serious suggestions appreciated.......

cpapjack · Post by **cpapjack** » Thu May 18, 2006 1:02 pm

I'm not a pro at this as I just started therapy last Friday, 5/12,06, but from what I was told, you are not supposed to use the machine/wear the mask while you have congested sinus/stuffy nose. I could be wrong, but that's what a few people have told me. I was also told that if you are using a machine with a huidifier, the likeliness that you will get a stuffy nose or congested is greatly reduced.

Wulfman · Post by **Wulfman** » Thu May 18, 2006 1:37 pm

cpapjack wrote:....but from what I was told, you are not supposed to use the machine/wear the mask while you have congested sinus/stuffy nose.

What I've read is that it is suggested that people refrain from using CPAP when they have serious sinus INFECTIONS. I think it depends on the seriousness of the problem. Two weaks after I started therapy, I came down with a cold and had a horrible cough....to the point that I just couldn't keep my mask on. I got over it in about 10 days.....or at least to the point where I could tolerate keeping the mask on. Since then, I've had colds and the flu (about every couple of months last year), but I managed to keep the mask on through them. For ME, the cool air from an unheated humidifier works best to keep my nasal passages clear......although some swear by heated. Be willing to experiment and see what works best for YOU.

Best wishes,

Den

dsm · Post by **dsm** » Fri May 19, 2006 4:23 am

I'm right into this issue at the moment.

Very congested - difficult breathing during the day, if I use my F/F mask I start off breathing thru my mouth. But it seems then I wake, I am nose breathing without problems.

I have overdone the use of nasal spray this past week so am now backing off. I don't have an infection, just severe congestion. It could be because we are experiencing very dry weather, I'm not sure. Will go to a doc next week.

But!, I find that no matter how congested i am, my nasal masks (Adams Circuit or Swift) work a treat & get the air in & out without any real problems except how noisy they are to my wife.

I would use my Adams Cicuit mask a lot more if not for its noise.

DSM

inacpapfog · Post by **inacpapfog** » Fri May 19, 2006 4:55 am

For sure, it is a personal preference as to what works best for each individual! I find that sleeping with my Swift and heated humidifier, when I have a cold, helps maintain clear nasal breathing, up to a point. When I have developed a severe cold (or a sinus infection) , I back off and use a FF mask because I want to give my nasal cavity (and ears) a break from the pressurized air. I will also use nose spray and/or a nasal wash at such times . Just kinda depends on how serious the nasal congestion gets.

NightHawkeye · Post by **NightHawkeye** » Fri May 19, 2006 5:28 am

I've had the same concern about what to do in event of a cold, but in five months of xPAP I simply haven't had a cold at all. I'm at least partly attributing this lucky state of affairs to the fact that I perform nightly nasal irrigations to keep my sinuses open.

I can't use a full-face mask because it increases my apnea, so I think that when I do get a cold, I'm probably gonna be off xPAP until the cold has run its course.

Regards,
Bill

roster · Post by **roster** » Fri May 19, 2006 7:04 am

NightHawkeye wrote:I've had the same concern about what to do in event of a cold, but in five months of xPAP I simply haven't had a cold at all. I'm at least partly attributing this lucky state of affairs to the fact that I perform nightly nasal irrigations to keep my sinuses open.

I can't use a full-face mask because it increases my apnea, so I think that when I do get a cold, I'm probably gonna be off xPAP until the cold has run its course.

Regards,
Bill

NightHawkeye,

If you do get a cold, I hope you can tolerate the xPAP while you have the cold. We apnea sufferers need the xPAP therapy more than ever when our bodies are under great stress fighting viruses.

Long before I was diagnosed with sosa, a friend and I developed a great routine for keep the air passages open when we have colds. We have found that xPAP therapy provides a synergy with our cold routine that makes it even more effective.

My friend is supposed to come over this weekend and we will write up the routine and post it in a new post.

rooster

roadwarrior · Post by **roadwarrior** » Fri May 19, 2006 8:38 am

I had this issue for the first time in a long time just last night. Indeed I can tell I am not rested. My doctor gave me some samples of "Nasonex" to try as it is a mild steroidal spray. It is supposed to open the sinus passages as he explained when you lay down the soft tissues swell and that is where the blockage of the nasal passages comes from. What a pain in the arse I must say. I can remember the few times when both sides of my sinuses were wide open. What a difference it makes indeed. I also heard that advice to lay off the CPAP during a cold. I can see how it woudl exacerbate the problem as for me if you can't breath through your nose it is nothing but a struggle.

I have also heard about the irrigation thing and am having my wife pick me up some basic saline nasal spray to try. I am headed to Las Vegas for a trade show in a few weeks and man do your sinuses get bone dry down there. It is real tough. Not to mention those pesky smokers which seem to be the majority in Sin City. Oh well..........

Guest · Post by **Guest** » Fri May 19, 2006 9:04 am

[quote="roadwarrior"]I had this issue for the first time in a long time just last night. Indeed I can tell I am not rested. My doctor gave me some samples of "Nasonex" to try as it is a mild steroidal spray. It is supposed to open the sinus passages as he explained when you lay down the soft tissues swell and that is where the blockage of the nasal passages comes from.