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Humidity adjustments
Just curious, how often do you adjust your humidifier settings? What factors call for adjustments? Thank you so much for your help.
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Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by Mike on
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what a great question. i'll start us off on the responses, but will be eager to hear from everyone else since I don't know the answer fully. I would suggest an increase in humidification settings when you're in a more dry climate (go on vacation to Arizona when you usually live in Florida), when you're experiencing a bit of dryness in the mouth (although this could be a problem with mask leak, so check that out too), or when you have a bit of congestion in the nose.
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Permalink Reply by Dan Lyons on
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The humidity setting is the one that works for YOU. It may change daily. You will find your settings.
The setting I use is the one to which I wake up feeling the closest to normal and to what doesn't feel like an army marched through my mouth.
Like every other part of your therapy, YOU are the person to which it must satisfy. Not Joe, Mary, Fred, etc. It is YOU.
The mask has to fit YOU, not what someone else says fits them.
If the therapy is as comfortable as possible, then you will use it. If you wear a pair of shoes that are 2 sizes too small, then you won't wear the shoes.
Everyone can only offer their advise as to their own therapy. You need to adjust for YOU!!!!!
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Permalink Reply by Banyon on
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I live in upstate Georgia and rarely use the humidifier if I am at home. When I travel to Toronto in the winter or Phoenix any time of year, I need the humidifier.
The bedroom humidity level is the determining factor. The Mayo Clinic web site says, "Ideally, humidity in your home should be between 30 and 50 percent. Humidity that's too low or too high can cause problems." http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/humidifiers/HQ00076
I keep a hygrometer in my bedroom and as long as the humidity is above 35% there is no need to use the CPAP humdifier. At 35% I use a humidifier setting of one and turn it up one notch for every 5 points the humidity drops.
Too much humidity is an overlooked problem.
I disagree with Dan. There is some science to choosing supplemental humidity settings. Subjective judgment can be very tricky and misleading.
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Permalink Reply by susan mccord on
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:-) Hi Dan....I agree!
McCord
Dan Lyons said:The humidity setting is the one that works for YOU. It may change daily. You will find your settings.
The setting I use is the one to which I wake up feeling the closest to normal and to what doesn't feel like an army marched through my mouth.
Like every other part of your therapy, YOU are the person to which it must satisfy. Not Joe, Mary, Fred, etc. It is YOU.
The mask has to fit YOU, not what someone else says fits them.
If the therapy is as comfortable as possible, then you will use it. If you wear a pair of shoes that are 2 sizes too small, then you won't wear the shoes.
Everyone can only offer their advise as to their own therapy. You need to adjust for YOU!!!!!
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Permalink Reply by Norman Blowers on
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Humidifier settings are particularly useful in getting used to therapy. After a while, I ended up turning off the heat completely. This was after about 6 months from starting therapy. Now, I just use the humidifier as a non-heated humidifier. I have been on my CPAP for 2 1/3 years. My pressure is set at 10 cm. I don't know if that is low, average or hi compared to therapy prescribed to other users. When I travel, I detach the water chamber and use the blower part by itself. I just returned from a week in S FL and found my mouth and nasal passages to have remained sufficiently moisturized. At times, when I awake in the middle of the night for a trip to the bathroom, I find my mucous membranes feeling dry. I drink 1 or 2 oz of water and am OK for the remainder of the night. I did not like the warm air caused by the humidifier. I never experienced rain out from it so that was never a problem.
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Permalink Reply by Mary Z on
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Banyon, what kind of problems does high humidity cause? I keep mine at four (I'm in Norfolk, VA where the humidity is 43% right now). My nose and sinuses tend towaad dryness, so the four seems to work well for me. When I took a trip to Mobile, AL I found I had to turn the humidity way down as they are so much more humid than we are. I've never (except in Mobile) had any trouble with water in the mask or tubing. I typically use almost all the water in the reservoir, I'm a 9 hour sleeper. I guess since I don't experience any problems I'm at the right level. I use a ResMed VPAPAuto 25 with a FFM. I think our house is pretty dry due to the heating even though we keep it a bit below 68 degrees.
Thanks,
Mary Z.
Banyon said:I live in upstate Georgia and rarely use the humidifier if I am at home. When I travel to Toronto in the winter or Phoenix any time of year, I need the humidifier.
The bedroom humidity level is the determining factor. The Mayo Clinic web site says, "Ideally, humidity in your home should be between 30 and 50 percent. Humidity that's too low or too high can cause problems." http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/humidifiers/HQ00076
I keep a hygrometer in my bedroom and as long as the humidity is above 35% there is no need to use the CPAP humdifier. At 35% I use a humidifier setting of one and turn it up one notch for every 5 points the humidity drops.
Too much humidity is an overlooked problem.
I disagree with Dan. There is some science to choosing supplemental humidity settings. Subjective judgment can be very tricky and misleading.
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Permalink Reply by Linda Murphy on
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Hi Steven
I keep mine on two. I found that any more and the air gets too hot and I feel like I can't breath. Also I get more water in the tube and face mask.
You just have to try different settings until you are comfortable. It's a process.
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Permalink Reply by Samuel Kaplan on
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I have the newest Respironics "System One" CPAP. It detects the ambient temperature and humidity and adjusts itself.
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Hi
Thanks for reference to Mayo clinic.Having only used CPAP for 6 weeks I am finding it best to go to sleep on setting 3 and then on waking to go to the bathroom about 3-4am I increase the setting to 4 when the bedroom is colder.(night temp in UK currently between 0-5 C)
I am using new distilled water each day as I feel this must be safer! (slightly paranoid retired doctor!)
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Distilled water is best because it does not leave mineral deposits in your CPAP humidifier equipment. Otherwise, normal potable water would be OK.
Max said:Hi
Thanks for reference to Mayo clinic.Having only used CPAP for 6 weeks I am finding it best to go to sleep on setting 3 and then on waking to go to the bathroom about 3-4am I increase the setting to 4 when the bedroom is colder.(night temp in UK currently between 0-5 C)
I am using new distilled water each day as I feel this must be safer! (slightly paranoid retired doctor!)
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Samuel Kaplan said:I have the newest Respironics "System One" CPAP. It detects the ambient temperature and humidity and adjusts itself.
That is an excellent way to do it if they have the technology to keep the humidity near the mid range of a healthy level of humidity.
Is there an adjustment for people who "feel" like they might need more or less humidity? I believe people should have options even if they are only making things worse for themselves.
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Yes, there is a 1-5 setting on the CPAP panel. But, even if you set it at the highest (5), if the sensors detect a "rain out" condition it will adjust itself.
Banyon said:Samuel Kaplan said:I have the newest Respironics "System One" CPAP. It detects the ambient temperature and humidity and adjusts itself.
That is an excellent way to do it if they have the technology to keep the humidity near the mid range of a healthy level of humidity.
Is there an adjustment for people who "feel" like they might need more or less humidity? I believe people should have options even if they are only making things worse for themselves.
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