Not using the humidifier?

Malibu wrote:Here is a web site that explains why humidification helps to keep your mouth from opening...

http://www.talkaboutsleep.com/sleep-dis ... study6.htm

And I find it very true, at least in my case, but of course everyone is different.

Later,

Marc

Marc,

Great find. I too was wondering how that can be. It's funny that this was asked. I recently upped the setting on my HH and my numbers have been better actually.

I found. at least in my case, that using no humidity increased mouth leaks according to the Encore Pro Software.

I run my Remstar Auto on 4 during the summer because of using the A/C 24/7. During the winter, the temperatures are a shade lower and to eliminate rain out, I run it on 3.

I tried none, passover, 1, 2, and 3 and it made a huge difference to me this cooling season moving it to 4.

5 was to much and except for testing it to see if it worked better than 4, I won't be going to 5 again...lol

Marc

_________________

CPAPopedia Keywords Contained In This Post (Click For Definition): Encore Pro, auto

I tried heated humidity the first day or two......didn't like it and switched to passover......Summer, Fall, Winter and Spring. I've even tried putting the water in the freezer for a while to get it even colder. Keeps my nasal passages open.

Den

I have actually heard of people putting crushed ice in their humidifier. Not sure how long that would last being that 70 degree air is flowing over it.

Supposedly the dry air makes your nasal passages produce more mucous which aids in stuffiness...and humidity is supposed to keep your nose clear, however we all know that no two noses are alike, thus the reason for selectable humidity.

Marc

_________________

CPAPopedia Keywords Contained In This Post (Click For Definition): humidifier

Wow.

Er, try again, guys.

That study doesn't say that heated humidification prevents mouth leaks. What it says is that "Inhaled air dryness during CPAP therapy can be significantly reduced by heated humidification, even during mouth leaks."

All this study is telling us is that humidification reduces dryness in the air we breathe, which is pretty obvious.

Perhaps this is the line that confused you:
"Inhaled air dryness during CPAP therapy can be significantly reduced by heated humidification, even during mouth leaks."

What this is saying is that, even when you have mouth leaks, heated humidifiers help keep everything nice and moist. That's all it's saying.

Or maybe this was the line:
"Heated humidification decreased the consequences of mouth leak by increasing relative humidity to the levels observed with dry CPAP with the mouth closed."

This is saying that heated humidifiers decrease dryness in the air you're breathing (which is what it's talking about when it says "consequences of mouth leak") by bringing moisture levels up to what they are when you don't have a mouth leak at all.

Hope that helps. If there's a different line on that posted study that has folks confused, let me know - I'll be happy to "interpret."

That's exactly how I understood it too. Wouldn't it be nice if it were true though that all we have to do is use the HH and reduce our mouth leaks.

How about this one then CollegeGirl....from cpap.com...

https://bb4b1663da2f8a31ea1b-be9b2e315e ... h-Leak.jpg

"Dryness and congestion promotes mouth breathing"

Eliminate the dryness and congestion and more than likely you will reduce your mouth breathing brought on by the dry air...of course high pressures and other reasons will make you more likely to mouth breath but humidity seems to crop up often in the resolution of mouth breathing...

Marc

_________________

CPAPopedia Keywords Contained In This Post (Click For Definition): cpap.com

That definitely gets closer to what you're trying to prove, Marc. It's definitely interesting.

But still, people should note that in order for this to be true (that added moisture from humidifiers helps prevent mouth leaks) you have to already be mouth breathing from some other cause first. That's what starts the "cycle" they talk about.

The cycle in short form: You mouth breathe (say, for example, you have a stuffy nose that evening). You mouth breathe, your nasal passages dry up, your body tries to supply more blood to them to increase moisture, which creates additional congestion and makes you more likely to mouth breathe additional times.

Using a humidifier won't keep you from mouth-breathing in and of itself, but it'll help prevent a recurrence "cycle" that develops as a result of dried up nasal passages.

Interesting! Thanks for sharing, Marc. I'll stick to taping my mouth, though, to keep myself from mouth-breathing at all and avoiding this issue altogether.

Put me down as one who can't tolerate humidity either. I've been sleeping without CPAP humidification for years now. .