CPAP when you are sick

BlackSpinner wrote:

nobody wrote:

Pap-Daddy wrote:+1
It might take some mouth breathing for 30 secs or so but I do better when trying to sleep than struggling thru the day. But I also have had fewer colds since starting cpap.

As far as sleeping without the cpap bc of a cold - afaik the body heals itself when we sleep. That is when we reach a deep restorative level of sleep. So to me it would seem counter productive to sleep without the cpap at any time for any reason. And I don't think I could sleep all stuffed up and not breathing all nite long.

Colds are caused by a virus which your immune system will attack whether you're awake or asleep.

Without restorative sleep the fight is much harder, like you are attacking up slope. My colds & flus are much shorter, lighter and rarely turn into full blown pneumonia or bronchitis now.

Sure if your osa is untreated or undertreated you probably will have a harder time because you're long term sleep deprived. But if you've been getting good sleep for a while I doubt a couple nights even while sick would be that big a problem. I'm not advising anyone one way or other, just saying what I do.

nobody wrote:

BlackSpinner wrote:

nobody wrote:

Pap-Daddy wrote:+1
It might take some mouth breathing for 30 secs or so but I do better when trying to sleep than struggling thru the day. But I also have had fewer colds since starting cpap.

As far as sleeping without the cpap bc of a cold - afaik the body heals itself when we sleep. That is when we reach a deep restorative level of sleep. So to me it would seem counter productive to sleep without the cpap at any time for any reason. And I don't think I could sleep all stuffed up and not breathing all nite long.

Colds are caused by a virus which your immune system will attack whether you're awake or asleep.

Without restorative sleep the fight is much harder, like you are attacking up slope. My colds & flus are much shorter, lighter and rarely turn into full blown pneumonia or bronchitis now.

Sure if your osa is untreated or undertreated you probably will have a harder time because you're long term sleep deprived. But if you've been getting good sleep for a while I doubt a couple nights even while sick would be that big a problem. I'm not advising anyone one way or other, just saying what I do.

My O2 levels dropped to 72% when I dozed off for few minutes while hooked up in ER once. My sleep study showed a low of 56%. I am sure that will affect anyone's healing.

BlackSpinner wrote:
My O2 levels dropped to 72% when I dozed off for few minutes while hooked up in ER once. My sleep study showed a low of 56%. I am sure that will affect anyone's healing.

Far as I know I don't have this problem even though I do have severe osa. I guess I wake up before my o2 drops too far. I think it was 89% at the lowest point on the sleep study. Sleep doc didn't seem too concerned about that, but was about how many times I was waking up.

Note--if you are sick often, please read this!
I suffered from "colds" for many miserable years, with bronchitis or laryngitis
at least once a year; and even pneumonia twice.
When my doctor put me on a daily antihistamine, the "colds" STOPPED, almost completely.
I have ALLERGIES! My "colds" were caused by damage/stress due to allergies.
If you are having frequent colds, do not resign yourself to needless misery.
There may be a solution.

A related question, which I fully admit is ridiculous/dumb...if I use my CPAP when I have a cold, aren't I transferring the cold germs to the mask, etc, or breathing them into the tube?

Obvs I need to clean it, but it's like with changing your toothbrush after you're sick - when do you change it? How do you know that the germs have dissipated?

Told you it was a dumb question I have a cold right now AND pinkeye, so I am extra-reluctant to use my machine right now.

(just starting to set up my profile, but I do use nose pillows.)

many people , me included , find they recover quicker using the cpap while sick.

Soap and water is a wonderful thing

You can boil the mask when you have recovered .... if you like

LateRain wrote:A related question, which I fully admit is ridiculous/dumb...if I use my CPAP when I have a cold, aren't I transferring the cold germs to the mask, etc, or breathing them into the tube?
you cannot reinfect yourself, because you are now immune to that virus
. . . pinkeye . . . but I do use nose pillows.)

Just clean your mask thoroughly each day you are sick, removing/killing the microbes that cause pinkeye--
(Assuming they can crawl across your face)

BlackSpinner wrote:Another thing that helps a lot of people is to put some Vicks/Tiger balm/ eucalyptus on a cotton swab by the air intake.

I've done this, helps a lot and worth a try