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(New page: CPAP Humidifiers (Mile High Sleeper) (Humidification) One of the reasons that people find PAP (Positive Airway Pressure) therapy uncomfortable is that they don’t use a PAP heated humidif...)
 
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CPAP Humidifiers (Mile High Sleeper) (Humidification)
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=Humidify or Not?=
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One of the reasons that people find PAP (Positive Airway Pressure) therapy uncomfortable is that they don’t use a PAP heated humidifier. For many people, the forced air in PAP therapy (CPAP, autoPAP, or bilevel) causes the nasal passages to become blocked. Heated, humidified air helps unblock the nasal passages, keeps the nose, throat, and mouth healthier and more comfortable, eliminates nosebleeds, and makes the therapy more comfortable, contributing to successful treatment. Some people prefer no humidification at all, and don’t get blocked or dry nasal passages or dry mouth.
 
  
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For a brief but thorough introduction to heated, passive (unheated), integrated (built-in), and stand-alone humidifiers, see Answers, Humidifiers at https://www.cpap.com/cpap-faq/Humidifiers.html#FGID-61. When you try unheated humidification, you may find that it does little to keep your nasal passages open and isn’t comfortable, unlike heated humidification. Since a heated humidifier can be turned off and become a passive humidifier, it may make sense to get a heated humidifier for more options. To keep humidity levels high, use an Australian heated hose from http://www.sleepzone.com.au/ CPAP users find that they need to use the heated humidifier every night, even in warm, humid summer months and humid climates. To preheat the water, turn on the humidifier about 20 minutes before going to bed. Some users recommend having a spare tank, since the cost is only about $20 or less; see https://www.cpap.com/simple-find-cpap-products.php?selected=HUMIDIFIERPARTS
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If you are waking up with dry mouth you definitely need to use the humidifier and you have it set too low. Depending on how bad you dry mouth is try upping in small increments until the dry mouth goes away. I had real sahara mouth and that is how I even found out my humidifier was working properly. Believe me it feels much better to have a little moisture in your mask *case (there are ways to fix the rain out) as oppose to the dry mouth which could also mean your nasal passages don't have enough moisture and you might start to get nose bleeds.- rise&shiner
  
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People may have memories of unsanitary, portable room humidifiers and vaporizers heavy with mineral deposits, growing and spreading bacteria. CPAP humidifiers are different if you use clean distilled water, emptied daily or frequently. Use only distilled water in the humidifier to avoid mineral buildup. Distilled water is condensed steam, mineral free, sold in gallon bottles for usually less than $1 at grocery stores and WalMart, for use in humidifiers and steam irons. If you are traveling or run out of distilled water, it’s okay to use tap water for a few days, but your humidifier may show mineral deposits. To remove deposits, soak the tank in a mild white household vinegar solution and rinse well. Since bacteria, molds, and mildew won’t grow on a dry surface, empty the tank every morning for best results and remove the bottom plate (in a Respironics humidifier) and let it air dry. For tips on taking apart and assembling a humidifier, see the discussion thread http://www.cpaptalk.com/viewtopic.php?t=10305
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The humidifier is generally recommended--I think most CPAP'ers use one. Some prefer no heat (passive), others prefer the heat on--higher the heat setting, the more humid the CPAP air. Like you, though, my humidifier didn't prevent my dry mouth issues. That requires keeping one's mouth closed. Good luck! -RipVW
  
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After drying, replace the humidifier on the machine. See a discussion of humidifier water leaks at http://www.cpaptalk.com/viewtopic/t14183/Puddle-Underneath-CPAP-Unit.html and search cpaptalk.com for discussions on the leaks related to the integrated humidifier for the Respironics M series PAP. Make sure the humidifier connects snuggly to the machine, to avoid air leaks. To fill, use a funnel in the opening for the hose (with the hose removed). Store the distilled water in the bedroom. For ideas on filling the humidifier, see http://www.cpaptalk.com/viewtopic.php?t=13397 To save wear and tear on the end of the hose, use a hard plastic hose connector.
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The pros: Keeps your breathing passages (both oral and nasal) from drying out, which means you are less likely to develop [[sinus congestion]]. It can get pretty nasty when you have blockage all day long for days on end. Your co-workers probably won't like you hacking.
  
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Some people don’t empty the tank daily and have no problems with things growing in the humidifier. If you don’t empty the tank, consider removing or disconnecting the humidifier from the PAP machine so the inside of the machine can dry out during the day, to avoid growth of mildew inside the machine.
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The cons: When I go to bed, I want to go to sleep, not fill a humidifier or clean it out or worry about running out of distilled water or whatever. I find it just one extra chore to have to take care of (besides daily cleaning of mask, weekly cleaning of headgear, replacing filters, etc.)
  
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Don’t add anything to the clean distilled water. The air that passes over it goes directly into your lungs. It’s not aroma therapy, it’s CPAP respiratory therapy.
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If you don't need it, great! You can reduce your need for one or even eliminate the need with a full face mask or hybrid. Some people would rather use Ayr gel. Works for some, not for others. It just depends on your unique situation: what you need, what you can tolerate, what you can afford...-Page by Page
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=Humidification=
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by Mile High Sleeper
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One of the reasons that people find PAP (Positive Airway Pressure) therapy uncomfortable is that they don’t use a PAP heated humidifier. For many people, the forced air in PAP therapy (CPAP, autoPAP, or bilevel) causes the nasal passages to become blocked. Heated, humidified air helps unblock the nasal passages, keeps the nose, throat, and mouth healthier and more comfortable, eliminates nosebleeds, and makes the therapy more comfortable, contributing to successful treatment. Some people prefer no humidification at all, and don’t get blocked or dry nasal passages or dry mouth. [http://www.cpaptalk.com/wiki/index.php/Humidification Read the full article here].
  
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To protect furniture, keep the heated humidifier and machine on a waterproof surface in case you spill water or there is a leak. Some options are an inverted plastic lid from a large storage box, or a cookie sheet with a rim.
 
  
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Experiment with the various humidifier settings to find the best setting for you. Also briefly experiment with passive humidification (don’t turn on the heating element) in case you ever need to run the CPAP on battery power during a power outage or when camping, since heated humidifiers can’t be run on batteries unless you use an inverter. Once you find an optimal heat setting, notice how much water is required nightly, and fill the tank only to that level, if you want to avoid wasting water with daily emptying. Don’t fill beyond the fill line, since overfilling may interfere with correct machine operation.
 
 
[[Category:CPAP Definitions]]
 
[[Category:CPAP Definitions]]

Latest revision as of 13:08, 18 November 2009

Humidify or Not?

If you are waking up with dry mouth you definitely need to use the humidifier and you have it set too low. Depending on how bad you dry mouth is try upping in small increments until the dry mouth goes away. I had real sahara mouth and that is how I even found out my humidifier was working properly. Believe me it feels much better to have a little moisture in your mask *case (there are ways to fix the rain out) as oppose to the dry mouth which could also mean your nasal passages don't have enough moisture and you might start to get nose bleeds.- rise&shiner

The humidifier is generally recommended--I think most CPAP'ers use one. Some prefer no heat (passive), others prefer the heat on--higher the heat setting, the more humid the CPAP air. Like you, though, my humidifier didn't prevent my dry mouth issues. That requires keeping one's mouth closed. Good luck! -RipVW

The pros: Keeps your breathing passages (both oral and nasal) from drying out, which means you are less likely to develop sinus congestion. It can get pretty nasty when you have blockage all day long for days on end. Your co-workers probably won't like you hacking.

The cons: When I go to bed, I want to go to sleep, not fill a humidifier or clean it out or worry about running out of distilled water or whatever. I find it just one extra chore to have to take care of (besides daily cleaning of mask, weekly cleaning of headgear, replacing filters, etc.)

If you don't need it, great! You can reduce your need for one or even eliminate the need with a full face mask or hybrid. Some people would rather use Ayr gel. Works for some, not for others. It just depends on your unique situation: what you need, what you can tolerate, what you can afford...-Page by Page

Humidification

by Mile High Sleeper

One of the reasons that people find PAP (Positive Airway Pressure) therapy uncomfortable is that they don’t use a PAP heated humidifier. For many people, the forced air in PAP therapy (CPAP, autoPAP, or bilevel) causes the nasal passages to become blocked. Heated, humidified air helps unblock the nasal passages, keeps the nose, throat, and mouth healthier and more comfortable, eliminates nosebleeds, and makes the therapy more comfortable, contributing to successful treatment. Some people prefer no humidification at all, and don’t get blocked or dry nasal passages or dry mouth. Read the full article here.

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