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+--- Thread: [CPAP] Nasal/sinus issue (/Thread-CPAP-Nasal-sinus-issue)
Nasal/sinus issue - stargazing - 09-26-2022
I am new to the board and I thank you in advance for any suggestions!
I started CPAP with Airsense 11 about 3 weeks ago. It has improved my sleep qualify a lot. However, about 10 days ago, I started to feel some discomfort inside the nose a few times during the day. Then it developed into some mild nasal/sinus infection and pain with a low fever. It has been on and off since then. I tried with temperature of 82 degrees and humidity level 7 but it did not seem to help. An OSCAR screenshot is attached.
I messaged the doctor but they just asked me to make sure the set is clean. I do clean the tubing, mask, and the humidifier everyday, though. I had nasal/sinus infection before and my nose is very sensitive to dryness/coldness, but nothing wrong in the past couple of years. Maybe I need a better cleaning method? Maybe I need a better filter such as a HEPA filter or an inline filter?
Any thoughts will be highly appreciated!
RE: Nasal/sinus issue - KeepSmiling - 09-26-2022
I do not know about inline filters while cpap is in autoset mode.
I found humidity caused congestion for me. In the beginning I liked a heated hose when it was cold. Now I do not use any thing. When it is very dry I sometimes use a nasal gel for dryness.
Change filter often.
Use only distilled water.
RE: Nasal/sinus issue - stargazing - 09-26-2022
Thank you. I suspect the same based on my limited experience --- if the humidity is too high it may cause congestion. This seems contradicting some articles I read, saying if there is congestion then just increase the humidity, and if there is rainout just increase the temperature. Anyway I have reduced the humidity to 6 and I think I feel a little better.
RE: Nasal/sinus issue - booksfan - 09-27-2022
Humidity is very much an individual thing. My husband uses nothing, no humidifier (not even passover humidification, he has the side panel), no heated hose. I use the humidifier AND the heated hose. And I turn the temp up on the hose in winter because we keep the temperature low at night and my nose gets cold! It's a question of finding the right balance for YOU. And the trial and error to do that can take a while, especially if you are adjusting both the humidity level AND hose temp!
RE: Nasal/sinus issue - KeepSmiling - 09-27-2022
stargazing,
I totally agree with booksfan. She gave the perfect example: It is personal comfort/preferences and bodies also react differently.
Experimenting as you are will lead you to your best settings.
So it does not come over whelming I suggest you make notes to yourself. The machine settings, room temperature and relative humidity how your nose is doing in the morning. Other things that may influence your comfort and sinuses. Don't get to discouraged that if in a couple of months you are making adjustments.
When I used water in my humidifier I always made sure the cpap machine was higher then the bed so the hose made a U as a preventative measure so no moisture can get back to the machine. (Same theory as for electrical cables going to floor and up to outlet, so no moisture will go into outlet.)
I was always fanatical about drying the tubing incase moist in the hose lead to nasal issues.
RE: Nasal/sinus issue - KeepSmiling - 09-27-2022
Here is a link to a Resmed document on machine settings to prevent rainout. It is two pages, one for ClimateLineAir heated tube and one for a SlimLine™ or standard tube
"How to adjust HumidAir™ humidification settings"
https://document.resmed.com/documents/products/machine/airsense-series/humidair-vs-h5i-settings-fact-sheet/1018807_humidair-vs-h5i_fact-sheet_usa_eng.pdf
RE: Nasal/sinus issue - stargazing - 09-27-2022
Thank you so much, KeepSmiling and booksfan, for the great advice!
I am going to try more tube temperature and humidity setting combinations and see how it goes. I am also going to turn on the smart device to record the room temperature and humidity level.
The pdf file is very useful. I was reading my Airsense 11 documents but did not see such important data. For sure my room temperature is too low for humidity level 6 or 7, lol.
On where to put the cpap machine, I once read from a website that some people put it lower than the bed so that the water will go back to the reservoir. I can try to see which is better. Maybe there should be a small container at the bottom of the U to collect water
RE: Nasal/sinus issue - B1Sailor - 09-27-2022
I am not an expert to guide you on your therapy. But I would question the basics. At this time of the year depending on where you are, could it be fall allergy or developing a cold and not caused by the machine?
I have many sinus issues. Currently on 3rd operation. Depending on the health of my nose,
1. If inflamed the cold dry air would help open my sinuses. So no heat and no water.
2. Most of the time my nose was OK and I used water and no heat to prevent dryness.
3. During dry periods low humidity (not very often in Deep South) or in winter with house heater on, I would use the heat and use entire container of water over the night.
That experience was over 20 years with my old Respronics RemStar Plus.
Now that I am new to an AirSense 11, I can't seem to use heat above 1. Using 3 it would use most of the water. But my mask was always wet. Never had that with my old machine.
I am not an expert but I think more humidity usually means more congestion. Use enough to eliminate the dry feeling. Not to attempt to clear your sinuses.
RE: Nasal/sinus issue - stargazing - 09-28-2022
Thank you, B1Sailor, for sharing your experience. I actually reduced the humidity level to 5 last night and my nose felt much better, contrary to my old belief. And it had no rainout at all! The room temperature was 67 deg F and humidity was 60%.
You are right that I cannot claim any connection between the start of cpap and the sinus issues. If there was one, then most likely it's because I did not use it right (not cleaning it well, etc.). My sinus issues had been gone for years, and that's part of the reason I tried to see if there is any connection between these two.
Hope you get better with your sinus issues. Try breathing meditation. Conscious, deep, slow, and soothing breaths provide great healing power. My sinus problems went away since I started breathing meditation regularly.
RE: Nasal/sinus issue - KeepSmiling - 09-28-2022
stargazer,
the U is the shape of the hose; so if there is rainout/moisture in the tube it does not flow into the machine.