Humidification Question

[dneal12]

The last several weeks, I've been too lazy to fill the humidifier on my machine.  It hasn't caused any discomfort or short term issues.  But then again, I didn't think my "snoring" was that big of an issue until I experience life with a cpap machine so what do I know.  So my main question is: Aside from the obvious issues of discomfort, are there any unseen or long-term issues that could arise from me going waterless?

Thanks!

[MitchS]

Welcome to the forum. 

There is no reason to use your humidifier if you don’t need it and it won’t cause any long term problems. In fact, I’ve found if I use too high a setting on my humidifier it can cause nasal congestion. We have members on the forum don’t use a humidifier and haven’t had long term issues. It’s all a matter of personal need and comfort. ResMed sells an end plate that replaces the humidifier for users who don’t need it.

[pabmd]

A lot depends on the individual and on what the relative humidity is where you use the machine. When I am in Mexico, the relative humidity is 80-86% and I do not need humidification. When I am home in the Northwest where the relative humidity is 26-45%, I definitely need it. Also, I think that humidity is most important for nasal CPAP users. Having a dry mouth is one thing, but having a dry nose at night which inevitably leads to vasomotor rhinitis (runny nose and sneezing) during the day is way worse, and constant dryness of the nasal membranes will ultimately lead to increased nasal stuffiness and inability to use nasal CPAP at all. I definitely recommend it; however, if you are one of the lucky ones who can tolerate "going dry" without developing irritative symptoms or live where the relative humidity is high, there is no downside in using CPAP without humidification.  

[sheepless]

afaik, it's purely a comfort thing although I suppose discomfort can have a negative effect on efficacy. a compromise seems to be working for me: most of the time I keep water in the water chamber without turning the humidifier on. I started this because no water was a little dry, and humidifier on, even at a low setting, triggered next-day runny nose and sneezing. a tankful usually lasts me about 5-7 days.

[Big Guy]

I was pretty sure that I didn't need any humidification, although I've been using it since I got my machine in early Sept. of 2018. 

I tried it w/o any humidity for a few nights several weeks ago. My mouth got very dry. That was enough to convince me to go back to it. 

Here in AZ., the humidity level can get pretty low. It's currently only 24%. Being in the teens can be quite normal. 

I'm not a big fan of humidity, but when it comes to treating SA, it works for me, not against me.