Inside of My Nose Hurts

Treesap · Post by **Treesap** » Sun Dec 16, 2007 12:34 pm

I live in Arizona, and it is dry here. I started CPAP therapy last May. I always have my humidifier up pretty high (on 5 out of 6) because of the lack of moisture in the air. Now that winter is here and the air is dryer because it is colder, I am experiencing extreme dryness inside my nose.

I put Carmex inside my nose the last 2 nights, but it doesn't seem to work well. Last night I decided to turn my humidifier up as high as it could go. I did notice more moisture, but it seemed to late to help as most of the night had passed already. But I woke up to rainout in my nasal pillow. There was no rainout in my hose.

I think I may need to get a humidifier for the bedroom to help with the humidity. Does anyone have any other suggestions? It hurts if my hubby hits my nose with his just for a dang kiss....sigh.

jum001 · Post by **jum001** » Sun Dec 16, 2007 12:58 pm

Re the dry room, a few years ago I was having nose bleeds due to the Sahara conditions in my home. My doctor recommended I use a vaporizer rather than a humidifier. Since the moisture comes out as steam, there are no mold/mildew problems, no fussy cleaning and no white deposits on the furniture. I now start adding moisture as soon as I turn on the heat.

Julie

Goofproof · Post by **Goofproof** » Sun Dec 16, 2007 1:22 pm

Treesap wrote:I live in Arizona, and it is dry here. I started CPAP therapy last May. I always have my humidifier up pretty high (on 5 out of 6) because of the lack of moisture in the air. Now that winter is here and the air is dryer because it is colder, I am experiencing extreme dryness inside my nose.

I put Carmex inside my nose the last 2 nights, but it doesn't seem to work well. Last night I decided to turn my humidifier up as high as it could go. I did notice more moisture, but it seemed to late to help as most of the night had passed already. But I woke up to rainout in my nasal pillow. There was no rainout in my hose.

I think I may need to get a humidifier for the bedroom to help with the humidity. Does anyone have any other suggestions? It hurts if my hubby hits my nose with his just for a dang kiss....sigh.

You could do as my wife does, she doesn't let me get that close. Jim

sharon1965 · Post by **sharon1965** » Sun Dec 16, 2007 2:06 pm

i'm not familiar with the product you mention, carmex?, but i do know that a lot of folks on here recommend 'ayr' gel to moisturize the nose...you could also do sinus rinses, which help keep the inside of your nasal passages moist ('NeilMed' is a great kit); i also use 'secaris' gel, which is a water based product meant for that purpose, and i don't only use it at bed time, but a couple of other times/day as well...for me this helps a lot, as the trick is to not let the passages dry out and then try to re-hydrate, but to keep them moist 'round the clock

ozij · Post by **ozij** » Sun Dec 16, 2007 2:21 pm

Both Slinky and Rested Gal have commented on the Resmed humidifier's whimpiness.... You may need a standalone humidifier - and the Fisher Paykel HC150 http://www.fphcare.com/osa/hc150.asp is highly recommended by those who use it.

O.

Treesap · Post by **Treesap** » Sun Dec 16, 2007 3:12 pm

Sharon,

Here's some information on Carmex:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carmex

sharon1965 · Post by **sharon1965** » Sun Dec 16, 2007 5:55 pm

treesap
i hesitate to mention this,(don't want to resurrect the vasoline wars) but petroleum based products in the nose are a no no, at least according to a very lively thread a while back, where some folks advocated vasoline and others were vehemently opposed...the member who goes by the user name SAG (still another guest)finally posted some compelling info on lipoid pneumonia which can be cause by inhaling petroleum products...i can't comment on the other ingredients, but i would still opt for a water based product meant for the purpose of nasal moisturizing

thanks for posting that link, tho

sleepycarol · Post by **sleepycarol** » Sun Dec 16, 2007 6:00 pm

Several weeks ago I began to notice that my M series intergrated humidifier was not going to keep up with our dry air in the house. I had it set between 2 and 3 and if I slept longer than approximately 8 hours the water would be gone essentially.

I made up my mind to get the stand alone Fisher and Paykel heated humdifier. I was able to pick two of them (one is a HC100 and the other is HC150) up on Craigslist. I had to purchase a water chamber and hose from cpap.com but I still saved money over purchasing a new one.

The last 3 nights I have used it as a passover humidifier and it has been fantastic. I also have used it for heated humidification on a setting of 2/3.

Well worth the money!! If you don't want to buy a new one list wanting to buy a used one.

krousseau · Post by **krousseau** » Mon Dec 17, 2007 11:58 am

1) Humidity Issues
Water based products do dry out. No product is meant to be placed into the nasal passage in a quantity or location that could be inhaled. i don't think Carmex is meant to go further than the skin near the rim of the nares. The key is very thin coating at the rims of the nares.

Inside the nose/past the skin like area at the opening/the mucous producing area: Saline nasal irrigation 1-2 times a day; one of them before bed. A pump spray bottle of the same saline solution to use liberally and frequently during the day. NOT a squeeze bottle or dropper bottle; a pump spray. I use at least an ounce a day plus the irrigations when it is dry.

A good humidifier and hose cover (possibly a double hose cover or heated hose). I only have experience with the one humidifier I have so can't comment on your equipment.

2) Pressure Sores
Make sure you don't have soreness in areas where the pillows rest. Your problem with bumping your nose made me think it could be soreness caused by pressure. You can get actual open areas or they can "just" be sore any where the pillow touch. Make sure you have the correct size pillows that do not sit too far up in your nose. The rims of the pillows should rest on the rims of your nose. Or the straps can be too tight. It is a narrow spot between leaks and soreness.

pberg3571 · Post by **pberg3571** » Mon Dec 17, 2007 12:09 pm

Had the same problem...AYR nasal gel worked great for me. Use a q-tip to apply it to the inside of the nares. You can also use it to help in sealing your nasel pillows under your nose if you use them. I was always told not to use a petroleum based produce as it will shorten the life of your nasel pillows.

krousseau · Post by **krousseau** » Mon Dec 17, 2007 12:55 pm

Forgot the petroleum based product caution. I do't know if it is only petroleum based products that affect the silicone mask material or all greasy products. I do use Unpetrolatum because a very low humidity dries out Ayr gel for me. It is still a greasy product though.

Treesap · Post by **Treesap** » Mon Dec 17, 2007 1:50 pm

Even though I set the humidifier at 6 (the highest setting), it still does not deplete the water by morning. I do think the Resmed humidifier is weak. I will check in to the F&) one.

The soreness in my nose is definitly caused by the lack of humidity. The air blowing up my nose doesn't help, but there's no way around that being a CPAP user. My nose is EXTREMELY sensitive to lack of humidity as it is.

Treesap · Post by **Treesap** » Mon Dec 17, 2007 7:40 pm

Look at this link:

http://www.sleepmed.com/cap_tips.htm

In particular:

"If your nose is getting "chapped" from the nasal pillows, try putting Carmex on the outside of the pillows. This will soften the surface, may help decrease air leaks, and it has a pleasant scent ."

Guest · Post by **Guest** » Mon Dec 17, 2007 7:49 pm

Thanks Treesap. They have some very interesting tips.

One was changing your disposable filter every six months. I thought you were suppose to change it every 2 to 4 weeks.

Another was adding Vicks Vapor Steam to your humidifier water. I have used it in a vaporizer but wouldn't think it would be good for the humidifier if placed in it.

Mask

Inside of My Nose Hurts

Inside of My Nose Hurts

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