Allergies ....

Are driving me crazy. It's that time of year here --- but is it possible that my CPAP is blowing allergens up my nose?

And no -- it's on a well vacuumed floor next to my bed. It's not like my dogs sleep next to it. If it's a problem, it is just picking all the allergens in the air and blowing them up my nose.

I think most CPAP filters are good at removing allergens, so the air should be a bit cleaner than room air. I'm very new at this, and have already struggled with allergies and nasal and pillow masks. Adjusting the humidity is one thing to try. I'm also using an oral antihistamine (cetirizine, aka Zyrtec), a nasal steroid (fluticasone, aka Flonase, which requires a prescription), and Sinol OTC nasal spray (it's not an "addictive" one like Afrin). These have worked well for me so far. Good luck!

Breathing filtered, humidified air all night should be helpful, not harmful, in the fight against allergies.

Nasal irrigation before bed may help with the allergies, as might showering and washing hair at night before bed instead of waiting until the morning. For those who can't wash their hair every night, keeping the hair covered when in bed (so that pollens aren't transferred to the pillow and rubbed in the face all night) is a good thing to do.

Starting out on PAP disrupts the upper airway for a while and dries it out a bit from the mask venting, and that can cause some allergy-like symptoms for a few days or allow for an upper respiratory infection at first. But after that, the machine is part of the solution, not part of the problem, for most, in every possible way.

I shower at night before bedtime - long time habit. I think it's just bad around here. It hasn't rained at all since early June and there's lots of dust and wind. My dogs don't help, as they carry lots of pollen. But we have them washed every 2 weeks.

I use Flonase and it helps - just not enough.

I'd certainly raise the machine off the floor carpeted or not. I don't know your machine but are you following directions about washing/changing filters on a timely basis? If your dogs sleep in your room with you that's another problem.

I use those white filters in addition to the regular one. That helps a lot.

This might help: https://www.cpap.com/productpage/respir ... -pack.html

If you're not already doing saline nasal rinses, you should start.

Personally I'm not big on blasting things through my sinuses, but I do use a saline nasal "mist" and get it up into my nasal passages then blow my nose. Even that helps.

I also use an oral antihistamine (generic Claritin) and I'm on Singulair for my asthma. I should be on a steroid nasal spray, but that was just one thing too much for me to take! Fortunately, I seem OK without it.

I use the white allergy filters, change them every two weeks, clean my foam filter weekly, and try to keep the area around my machine dusted (I'll never win "World's best housekeeper). Keep your mask/pillows clean, too!

Despite allergy season, my nose is the clearest it's been since I've been an adult. The CPAP with appropriate humidity (not too much, not too little) really helps.

The downside is I can smell everything again, even the unpleasant stuff. People stink!

kempo wrote:This might help: https://www.cpap.com/productpage/respir ... -pack.html

Boy, thanks! I forgot to look and see what was already in there. I assumed there was something, but there is just a foam filter! Gotta get these now.

DoriC wrote:I'd certainly raise the machine off the floor carpeted or not. I don't know your machine but are you following directions about washing/changing filters on a timely basis? If your dogs sleep in your room with you that's another problem.

Not anymore. They are afraid of my mask! I've got to condition them to that. Maybe they think they can catch apnea from me?