Benefits of NOT using a humidifier

[70sSanO]

It is all relative to where you live. If you live in an area with low humidity and are running the heater that dries the air even more, you probably need some humidification even in normal air not just CPAP air.

To put things into perspective, if the humidity is so low that it can crack the top of your vintage Gibson or Martin, maybe adding a little bit of moisture is a good thing. It is no secret that people’s skin can dry out and crack during the winter months.

I have never used a humidifier. I believe that humidification can help most with CPAP therapy. I’m thankful the relative humidity, during the winter, in our area is not that bad.

For me the only pro is not having to clean a humidifier tank or hose and can wash the mask less frequently.

As for the cost of distilled water, this is a forum that deals with durable medical equipment. It is so difficult to include both those items in the same paragraph.

John

[trish6hundred]

Before I started CPAP therapy, I had frequent nosebleeds. So, a while after I was using a machine that had a humidifier, I noticed I didn't have nosebleeds any more. It comes down to comfort.

[ragtopcircus]

I did not want to use humidity, but found it to be very important. Without it, my sinuses close off within a few minutes of beginning CPAP. The combination that works for me is high humidity, but with the hose temp turned down.

[Zorki1c]

We live in an arid region where humidity is usually in the 10 to 20 percent range. I guarantee you that a humidifier isn’t just a sale gimmick here. It makes a BIG difference. Now if we lived in Louisiana it would be an entirely different story and with heat and high humidity mold could be a problem. We have gone on river cruises where the humidifier wasn’t needed and when I went to Hawaii it wasn’t needed either. Personally I glad I live where the humidifier is needed.

[OpalRose]

I've tried going without the humidifier a couple times, and each time, I didn't last through the night.

Maybe physiological, but the dryness and nose bleeds the next morning were telling.

I use distilled water, rinse daily, wash tub with soap and vinegar every couple weeks, air dry and have never had a problem.  

We don't need to make things harder on ourselves, so keep it simple whether you choose to use it or not.

[mesenteria]

Oddly, folks seems to think that they "need" humidification because "CPAP air" is dry air.

It's not.  A CPAP machine does no drying.  It is the same air, at the same humidity, that everyone else that is not using CPAP is breathing.

And very,very few folks not using CPAP "need" some sort of supplemental humidity.

Manufacturers added humidity as a sales gimmick and it has been sold as a necessity, and lots of people bought the lie.  In reality, it is about as necessary as electric windows in cars.  I did fine with crank up windows for decades and could just as easily do so again.

I beg to disagree.  When you sleep, even in a cold room, you don't have cold room air rushing across your nose and mouth as happens when wearing a mask and getting PAP treatment.  Unless, you also use a fan directed toward you in a cold room.  So, some people find 'comfort' (it's an important concept in PAP treatment) in having the air warmed, and that's what the tube is for.  When you warm air, you lower the relative humidity.  That's where the problem lies, and why they place the water reservoir between the fan and the hose inlet.

[Big Guy]

Although my AirSense 10 AutoSet came with a heated hose, I never use the heated hose feature. Not a big fan of heated air to breathe in. 

My DME supplier keeps sending me the heated hose when I'm due one. I now have a total of 5 of them on hand. 

I've tried messing around with the humidity levels, and really didn't find any one level that made that much of a difference to me. I now keep it on auto.

[djensen9367]

I quit using the humidifier several months ago, I personally have not noticed a difference at all.  It is nice to not have to mess with water and cleaning a tank.  I also do not clean my equipment on a regular basis and have not suffered any health issues that I know of-I am regularly under 1 ahi and my airsense 10 is doing a fantastic job, my wife loves that I do not snore anymore.