Is a humidifier recommended?
Hi,
Apologies for the influx of novice questions from me.
I purchased a Phillips Dreamstation APAP machine and am using it with Dreamwear Nasal Pillow.
I was of the initial understanding that a humidifier is less important for nasal breathers.
I have slight turbinate hypertrophy but I can breath through my nose fine, but I've recently seen suggested that the dry air can exacerbate this in the long term?
I also wasn't sure about the impact on the noise of the machine: I've read that separate humidifiers (not in built) tend to be noisier but a couple of the reviews on the Phillips Humidifier have suggested it may reduce overall noise levels (possibly in conjunction with the heated hose).
Unfortunately, I don't have the option to get this on the NHS (all appointments cancelled so I've had to self fund) so was wondering if anyone had any feedback on the product before I invest?
As always, any support would be greatly appreciated!
Kind regards
DTBetter
RE: Is a humidifier recommended?
Personally, I find I need the humidifier on. The ResMed ASV I was most recently using has 8 levels of humidity, Auto or Manual control, and mine had a heated tube as well. I ran my humidifier on 4-8 Manual control. The heated hose was on between 80-86 degrees F.
Most like the humidity added, but a few do not like it at all. It's personal preference and comfort oriented. DreamStations have the humidifier as an add-on part, while ResMed 10s are built-in with the option to remove the tub and run with an optional blocker plate FWIW.
Mask Primer
Positional Apnea
INFORMATION ON APNEA BOARD FORUMS OR ON APNEABOARD.COM SHOULD NOT BE CONSIDERED MEDICAL ADVICE. ALWAYS SEEK THE ADVICE OF A PHYSICIAN BEFORE SEEKING TREATMENT FOR MEDICAL CONDITIONS, INCLUDING SLEEP APNEA. INFORMATION POSTED ON THE APNEA BOARD WEBSITE AND FORUMS ARE PERSONAL OPINION ONLY AND NOT NECESSARILY A STATEMENT OF FACT.
RE: Is a humidifier recommended?
(05-05-2020, 02:52 PM)SarcasticDave94 Wrote: Personally, I find I need the humidifier on. The ResMed ASV I was most recently using has 8 levels of humidity, Auto or Manual control, and mine had a heated tube as well. I ran my humidifier on 4-8 Manual control. The heated hose was on between 80-86 degrees F.
Most like the humidity added, but a few do not like it at all. It's personal preference and comfort oriented. DreamStations have the humidifier as an add-on part, while ResMed 10s are built-in with the option to remove the tub and run with an optional blocker plate FWIW.
Thank you - appreciate the feedback!
RE: Is a humidifier recommended?
I put water in the tank but now I keep it off so just passive humidification. More humidity seems to increase nasal congestion for me. All depends on your environment and what your allergies are.
RE: Is a humidifier recommended?
(05-05-2020, 03:26 PM)weiss27md Wrote: I put water in the tank but now I keep it off so just passive humidification. More humidity seems to increase nasal congestion for me. All depends on your environment and what your allergies are.
Thank you! A dust mite allergy for me so not sure if the dry air would really exacerbate it.
Do you find having the humidifier affects the noise level?
05-05-2020, 04:35 PM
(This post was last modified: 05-05-2020, 04:36 PM by Big Guy.)
RE: Is a humidifier recommended?
My machine has a humidifier and I use it all the time. I tried to go a night or two w/o using it, and quickly realized it was a mistake.
Never been one to use a humidifier in the past, such as a room unit and such. But.....I do like it on my CPAP machine.
RE: Is a humidifier recommended?
(05-05-2020, 04:35 PM)Big Guy Wrote: My machine has a humidifier and I use it all the time. I tried to go a night or two w/o using it, and quickly realized it was a mistake.
Never been one to use a humidifier in the past, such as a room unit and such. But.....I do like it on my CPAP machine.
Thank you!
RE: Is a humidifier recommended?
Regarding these Respironics, specifically DreamStations, since the humidifier is an add-on, I found it did change the noise level. If the humidifier is in the circuit, I found the machine was quieter. I had a DreamStation BiPAP in early 2017.
Mask Primer
Positional Apnea
INFORMATION ON APNEA BOARD FORUMS OR ON APNEABOARD.COM SHOULD NOT BE CONSIDERED MEDICAL ADVICE. ALWAYS SEEK THE ADVICE OF A PHYSICIAN BEFORE SEEKING TREATMENT FOR MEDICAL CONDITIONS, INCLUDING SLEEP APNEA. INFORMATION POSTED ON THE APNEA BOARD WEBSITE AND FORUMS ARE PERSONAL OPINION ONLY AND NOT NECESSARILY A STATEMENT OF FACT.
RE: Is a humidifier recommended?
(05-06-2020, 07:30 AM)SarcasticDave94 Wrote: Regarding these Respironics, specifically DreamStations, since the humidifier is an add-on, I found it did change the noise level. If the humidifier is in the circuit, I found the machine was quieter. I had a DreamStation BiPAP in early 2017.
Thank you!
RE: Is a humidifier recommended?
Welcome, and I'll sum up the humidifier thing regarding DreamStations: you can have it in the circuit either actively adding humidity by turning it on in the settings, or passively by having water in the tub but not turning it on. With it in-circuit, it lowers the noise. If the noise isn't an issue and you don't need even passive humidity, remove the humidifier unit.
Mask Primer
Positional Apnea
INFORMATION ON APNEA BOARD FORUMS OR ON APNEABOARD.COM SHOULD NOT BE CONSIDERED MEDICAL ADVICE. ALWAYS SEEK THE ADVICE OF A PHYSICIAN BEFORE SEEKING TREATMENT FOR MEDICAL CONDITIONS, INCLUDING SLEEP APNEA. INFORMATION POSTED ON THE APNEA BOARD WEBSITE AND FORUMS ARE PERSONAL OPINION ONLY AND NOT NECESSARILY A STATEMENT OF FACT.
