Humidifier a must?

I'm a 10 day newbie who has taken many members suggestions to heart. Thank you so much. I've met with a little resistance from my PCP at Kaiser regarding getting a copy of my test results and prescription (she says she doesn't have "access" to them ?????) but am perservering. I know I'll have lots of questions once I have some specific info. At this point I wonder about all the mentions of humidifiers. My CPAP doesn't incorporated one, Apria never made mention of it, and I'm wondering if not every needs it? How would I even know? Which of my "providers" should I be asking questions of? My PCP seems to be clueless, I have never seen or spoken with a respiratory person, and Apria just handed over my CPAP with no discussion--Respironics REMstar Plus M. I'm thankful for all the great info I'm getting here...it's proving to be reassuring for sure. I'm hoping I'll feel more empowered once I can actually see my records and specifics!

If you don't live in the tropics or you have nasal allergies or you have chronic sinus issues, you need a humidifier. I thank whatever power may be that I have a heated humidifier or I could not tolerate CPAP therapy. All that air, sent under pressure, through my nasal passages would dry me out in a heartbeat and really inflame those tissues.

Some say it makes no difference for them.

I think that in the US the doc usually writes something like "with heated humidifier" right on the presription.

Yeah, it's important for most:

http://www.talkaboutsleep.com/cpap-humidification/

I went for years without one and from November to April my life was a living hell. I always thought it was allergies until I got a passover humidifier and my problems ended. I would recommend that you ask you doctor to add a heated humidifier to your prescription.

My ENT Doc absolutly insisted on it. Sinuses must be kept moist or it will create all kinds of problems.

Jerry

I do almost live in the tropics, like 45 mins from the gulf coast. Believe me, get a humidifier! You will suffer from drying of the nasal passages. I tried without and then with. Without I was getting nose bleeds from my nasal passages being so dry and irritated.

I live in Miami. You can't get too much more south than I am and still be on the continent. I use a heated humidifier all the time. But that's just me - I grew up with gills instead of lungs. ;^))

The need for a humidifier varies from person to person and from locale to locale. The need is probably greater in Santa Fe than in Seattle.

That said, my sleep doctor considers a heated humidifier to be an absolute necessity. And I believe that most insurance companies routinely pay for them.

humidifiers have recently been promoted here as essential but as a CPAP user since 1995, Ive never used one or felt the need for one, CPAPs do not remove any humidity from the air, and as long as you nose breathe, the nostrils continue to add humidity

Ive never had a CPAP with a built in humidifier though

most of the time I live in a low humidity area, but I dont notice any difference when sleeping in a high humidity area

harry33 wrote: . . . CPAPs do not remove any humidity from the air, . . .

Technically, I guess, that may be true in one sense, but in another, I think it sorta does, in practice:

"Since the relative humidity of air delivered via CPAP systems is approximately 20% lower than that of unhumidified room air, adding humidity to the treatment seems to be a natural and obvious thing to do. This may improve patient comfort and compliance with CPAP therapy."
-- http://www.sleepreviewmag.com/issues/ar ... -11_05.asp