Does your CPAP mask dull the sense of smell

[mikael26288]

Sorry if this has been asked already somewhere in the forum.
I am wondering how dull your sense of smell gets while wearing your CPAP mask.

Twice since we have married, I have woke up because there was smoke in the house. (Not going into details about that. LOL)

Just wondering what the chance is of burning up in a house fire because I can't smell smoke. I'm a light sleeper when it comes to noise or smells.

[312capri]

Sorry if this has been asked already somewhere in the forum.
I am wondering how dull your sense of smell gets while wearing your CPAP mask.

Twice since we have married, I have woke up because there was smoke in the house. (Not going into details about that. LOL)

Just wondering what the chance is of burning up in a house fire because I can't smell smoke. I'm a light sleeper when it comes to noise or smells.

Interesting point! Probably want to make sure all the smoke detector's are working!

[JudgeMental]

I don't think that your mask dulls your sense of smell at all. Quite the contrary. In fact it probably amplifies it, because smells are carried in the air and the air to your nose has been concentrated and increased in volume and intensity by the CPAP pressure.

I know my sense of smell is greatly increased when I don the mask. Some people place fragrances several inches from the air intake, such as lavender, which is reported to have some relaxing therapy when smelled.

[mjbearit]

Every fall when the time changes, I go through the house with a fist full of batteries. Each room gets the clock changed by an hour and a new battery in the smoke detector and the Carbon Monoxide detector. We don't wait for the smoke alarm to tel us it needs new batteries, we just replace them annually.

[SuperSleeper]

I've noticed my sense of smell has decreased dramatically the last 2-3 years... have no clue whether it's due to CPAP or not, though.

Maybe it's due to being over 50 now.....

[PaulaO2]

Having the CPAP away can be good, though. My Rottie can peel paint with her gas. But with the CPAP a little further away, it usually doesn't reach me. I can also hide under the covers since I have an air source.

And for the record, I have smelled smoke while asleep with the mask on.

[archangle]

I think there are two questions here.

1) Do you miss smells in the room because the air passes through the CPAP machine?

There may be some affect, but it's not that much. I find I still smell things at night. The filter may filter out certain things to some extent.

You do, of course, smell what's near the the CPAP machine, not what's near your nose.

2) Does CPAP affect your sense of smell in general?

Some people report some loss of smell in general on CPAP. Quite a few report the opposite.

Re: Smoke detectors

I've started buying smoke detectors with 10 year non-replaceable batteries. After 10 years, you just replace the whole smoke detector. Even on smoke detectors with replaceable batteries, you need to replace the whole smoke detector every 7 to 10 years anyway.

Be sure to write the expiration year on the smoke detector, whatever type you get.

[JudgeMental]

Good point.Arch.. on the smoke detectors.
Mine are very old and should be replaced, even though I do change the batts on daysavings time change.

[mjbearit]

We just got all new ones last year! And added the Carbon Monoxide detector. We have a gas furnace so that is important! Whether you are on a CPAP or not, you should not rely on smell to tell if there is a fire! You should be warned far in advance of the smell getting to you to maximize your chances of surviving.

[TorontoCPAPguy]

Sorry if this has been asked already somewhere in the forum.
I am wondering how dull your sense of smell gets while wearing your CPAP mask.

Twice since we have married, I have woke up because there was smoke in the house. (Not going into details about that. LOL)

Just wondering what the chance is of burning up in a house fire because I can't smell smoke. I'm a light sleeper when it comes to noise or smells.

My personal experience is that being on the mask DOES reduce one's sense of smell. Significantly. You are breathing (hopefully) filtered and humidified air. I too am a very light sleeper at times... except when in REM sleep.

It is also my experience that smell... any smell.... is noticeable after you have been on a XPAP machine for a few years.... and if your masks, hose, etc., are kept clean and free of fragrances (I use odourless soaps/detergents and a disinfectant designed for airway equipment that is also odourless when rinsed clean). If I go to bed early and my wife starts cooking tomorrow's lunch or anything, I am awakened to consciousness.

As far as smoke is concerned, we have multiple smoke detectors and carbon monoxide detectors, some connected to our central alarm system and a monitoring station in case we are overcome, etc.