brain eating amoeba

I've just started using Cpap and in my research I came across the possibility of contracting a brain eating amoeba from either the water in the reservoir, using tap water to wash the hose, or from washing the mask in tap water. Any concerns or thoughts on this?

Are you camping in the Amazon?
Otherwise, the likelihood is miniscule and insignificant.

Thanks for the reply. Do you wash your mask and hose with tap water or do you recommend washing with distilled water like you use in the humidifier?

newtoo wrote:I've just started using Cpap and in my research I came across the possibility of contracting a brain eating amoeba from either the water in the reservoir, using tap water to wash the hose, or from washing the mask in tap water. Any concerns or thoughts on this?

It seems to have become very common in the USA from the political reporting, so use distilled water in your reservoir and allow your hose to dry out before using.

Actually, the brain eating microorganism thing is very real and is contracted by getting warm pond-creek-river water up your nose. I am doubtful that PAP use poses any real threat. >>> http://www.webmd.com/brain/brain-eating-amoeba#1

From many posts here, it seems that the brain eating amoeba, is a endangered species. Jim

someone's finally figured out D.H. and avi123!!!!!

Tap water in my area comes from our local river. Whenever we receive an annual report on our water, it states that there are several not so desirable things in it, but that the levels of contaminates are most likely less than the required amount that is allowable. Very comforting, right?
I live in a very small mountain rural town where some residents actually still pipe sewage directly into creeks and rivers. Also, we are a coal mining town and that has polluted our rivers, as well. My equipment provider recommended cleaning with tap water, but I think I'll pass and use distilled. It's better to err on the side of caution.

newtoo wrote:I've just started using Cpap and in my research I came across the possibility of contracting a brain eating amoeba from either the water in the reservoir, using tap water to wash the hose, or from washing the mask in tap water. Any concerns or thoughts on this?

someone's feeding you FUD.
while you can get your brain eaten, (and some people here seem to have already had that happen) that's when you get water up your nose, like using swamp water to do nasal irrigation.

cpap doesn't work like that, you don't get water up your nose... and any water drops that do make it there from rainout are going to be pure water, from water evaporation, and water vapor can't carry brain eating amoebas.

There was a report last year or the year before of a woman getting the brain-eating amoeba while using a neti pot, but note that she was using untreated well water. The risk of getting it is extremely small and as Palerider explains, you are getting evaporated water, which would prevent amoeba from getting to your mask.
http://www.livescience.com/55158-brain- ... facts.html

I asked the sleep doc about using well water since I visit my sister and he just said that if the water is untreated, heat it to boiling, let it cool and then use that for your device (way easier to use a gallon of distilled, but if I ran out, the store is 30 miles away). The bigger problem from well water is actually agricultural runoff, but some people get their water from shallow wells, I guess.

This is called Naegleriasis and is caused by water getting into your olfactory nerve. Note I say water, and not water vapor. Unless you are introducing water into your nasal passages, the chances of contracting Naegleriasis through a cpap machine is non-existent.

Brain eating amoeba?
This seems to explain so much in current culture.

chunkyfrog wrote:Brain eating amoeba?
This seems to explain so much in current culture.

more like there's a lot of starving amoebas out there, these days.