nose bleeds

I have been using CPAP for many years, and just recently started getting nose bleeds. Here are some suggestions that I've found help eliminate the problem:

1. Use a water-based lubricating jelly in your nose. Apply as you go to bed. I've cut off the fingers of a latex glove, and I use one of them over my finger as an applicator. Just put a dab of gel on the finger-tip, insert up into your nose, and spread around. The applicator helps to spread the gel, and protects your nose from scratching by your finger-nail. You can rinse off the applicator and reuse it, day after day. DO NOT use petroleum jelly, especially if your CPAP has nasal plugs or "pillows".

2. Check with your respiratory therapist to see if your CPAP pressure should be reduced. I found my nasal passages expanded over time, and the lining of my nose decreased, which brought blood vessels closer to the surface. Reducing the pressure helped a lot, and I still get a comfortable sleep.

3. Reduce your intake of aspirin, or products like Alka-Seltzer or Vanquish that contain a lot of aspirin. Blood thinners can contribute to nose bleeds. If you are on doctor's orders to use blood thinners, check with your doctor about dosage.

i was having nosebleeds when i first started cpap...turned out i had a severely deviated septum and the tissue would become irritated because the air from the cpap couldn't go straight through like it should and was drying out the tissue it came in contact with; i also had a HUGE erupted vessel electrically cauterized when i went for surgery to correct the septum...i use secaris day and night to keep my nasal passages moist (i recall reading on these boards some time back that vaseline should not be used inside the nose, especially when on cpap, due to the fact that it can cause lipoid pneumonia, so i'd stay away from using vaseline inside my nose just in case; secaris is water soluble and made for this purpose anyway, so why not just use that?)