Cage Match - Sleep Apnea vs. Upper Respiratory Infections

[Julie]

I don't use my humidifier much at all, but moisture alone (from distilled water in an enclosed container) should not be the primal soup you seem to think it is. And if I'm naive, maybe it's from working my entire life in research depts. in teaching hospitals... you are so insulated from learning in those places!

[Todzo]

Julie, based on your posts, I am quite sure that you don't get it. I am sorry, but I find your posts are very general and naïve, in my opinion. When you breath the air in your home, it is not through a tube, that has humidified, heated air pressurized through it for 7 hours. Its the moistness of the tubes/CPAP machine/humidifier, etc. that causes the issue. If I was strictly on a CPAP with no humidifier, your statement would be closer to accurate (still not entirely accurate given hosing, nasal pillows, opportunity for getting gunk, etc.). With a humidifier, your statement is nowhere close to being accurate.

Several posts in this thread have helped me a lot, I am very appreciative. I think I am going to bow out of this one now, however, before getting into further debates about what is room air vs. pressurized air, humidified vs. not, what heat and darkness do to water, etc. It wasn't really the point of my post. thanks again for all the helpful info.

If you think about it there should be no need to use a humidifier. You never used one before CPAP - so why the need now.

Simply you are using more air. That is why. The increased "gain" of the CPAP pressure tends to increase air use which tends to dry things out.

Since I have gotten my tendency to over breath with CPAP more under control I do not use a humidifier. One less thing to worry about.

I do think you are right to be concerned about bugs growing in the humidifier so close to your nose.