What is a humidifier, and why do I need one?
The use of a humidifier is very subjective to the individual. Ideally a humidifier should be incorporated into your therapy regimen, in that it does what the nose does not have time to do, when on CPAP/BIPAP. In other words, when you breathe in normally, without the use of a CPAP or BIPAP, the nose will slowly heat and humidify the air before it reaches the lung field. With the ‘rush of air’ experienced during CPAP/BIPAP, the nose does not have time to address the increased flow. That said, about 40-50% of the population that use CPAP and BIPAP do not use humidification, as it does require increase maintenance time. A humidifier should be emptied daily, and refilled nightly, prior to sleep with distilled or de-ionized water. It should be thoroughly cleaned at least once a week with a (2:1) water and vinegar solution. You increase your susceptibility to upper respiratory tract infections if you do not keep up good maintenance on your humidifier reservoir.
