Why use a humidifier?

I have just picked up my first cpap machine and I am, I am told, now getting much more sleep and my snoring seems to be gone .

I see many people use humidifiers with their kit. Why would I need / use one ?

Also I spend a lot of time travelling as part of my job. Would anyone recommend a good travel unit. The S9 is pretty small but with the hose and mask and cables my luggage needs now seem to be much larger and carry on only might be a little difficult too.

All comments appreciated.

Paul

Some people need the added moisture to keep their nasal mucosa and sinuses happy. When they get too dried out some ugly symptoms are the result. I absolutely couldn't/wouldn't use my machine without my humidifier...I am one of those people who need the moisture. Bad bad congestion, drainage, pressure...just misery in general happened when I reduce the setting once and also a couple of times when I forgot to fill the water tank and it went dry.

Some people don't need or want the added moisture or even find that any added moisture causes congestion.
Some people just don't want to mess with a humidifier and all that...and feel fine doing without it. Their noses are happy and they breathe just fine.

Mainly humidifier use is personal preference...and what settings to use is also personal preference.

It also can be a seasonal thing - some folks don't need the humidifier during the summer, especially near the ocean or in the tropics. During the winter, or when A/C is used, added moisture is needed.

It is better to have and not need than to need and not have.

I was on XPAP for abour 16 or 17 years without a humidifier and always thought it was just a silly fad. BUT I went to a different sleep medicine doctor who insisted that I add a humidifier to my old Respironics BiPAP Plus. I will be forever grateful to that doctor-I have much more comfortable experience now with the machine, and the extra moisture has greatly helped in reducing nasal congestion. I use a heavy insulated hose cover, and sleep well with no rainout even in my cool sleeping room. My experience is that humidity is a big improvement.

TheDuke

It's a good question you ask.

When I had my initial instruction on xpappery from the DME, the instructor suggested that we would have more success if we didn't humidify at all. So I didn't, and I was fine for years.

Now, I humidify minimally, with settings either at 0 (no heat) or 1, slight heat.

Just for experimental purposes, I've tried higher settings, and my AHI increased with increasing temp. My personal lesson (everyone is different), minimal humidification is a reasonable idea. None is better than too much.

Oh, when I travel, I never take the humidification apparatus. (Not a recommendation, just an example of one person's practice.)


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I live in the desert so yes, I NEED to use a humidifier. Mine is set on 4.5 and I refill the tank every other night.

They sold it to me and I tried it and could not see any benefit so I don't use it. They didn't ask me if I wanted it, they know medicare is going to pay so they include it.

My mom and I both use a Resmed S9 autoset with a quattro fx mask. We live in the same house. I use my humidifier at 5.5 out of 6. She doesn't use hers at all.

I think a lot of it comes down to personal preference.