Tips for Using Your CPAP and Dealing With Seasonal Allergies

The spring can be very tough for the 50 million Americans who suffer from seasonal allergies.¹

The sneezing, itchy eyes, runny nose, and congestion can be hard for anyone to deal with. But it can be especially hard for those with sleep apnea.

Allergies can make a person’s sleep apnea worse. Allergies can cause swelling in the nasal passages and excess secretions in the nasal passages and upper airways. This leads to obstructions or blockages, which most people with sleep apnea already have.

Pollen or other allergens often make it difficult to breathe through the nose, increasing the risk of snoring or making snoring worse. Using your continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) machine can help with this, even though, at times, it feels uncomfortable.

Tips for using CPAP during allergy season

Switch your filter to a hypoallergenic filter

This can help to prevent tiny particles from entering your airways and making your seasonal allergy symptoms worse.

Use a full face mask during allergy season

If you don’t use a full face mask normally, switching to one may improve your breathing. Allergies often cause your nose to be clogged, causing you to breath through your mouth. Wearing a full face mask can decrease snoring and can help to make sure you get the full benefit of the CPAP during allergy season.

Use a CPAP with humidifier

Using a heated humidifier can help to reduce allergy symptoms and can help to break up any congestion you may have. When you use the heated humidifier, it helps to decrease dryness and relieve inflammation in your airways.

If you don’t use warm air, the cold air can cause the vessels in your nose to dilate. This can cause narrowing of the nasal passages and increased mucous, which can block the airway. So I think a heated humidifier is best.

Clean your equipment frequently

For a CPAP to work, it naturally draws air in from the surrounding areas, which does mean that it could also pull in pollen, dust, or anything else that may be in the air. Due to this, it is important to regularly clean your CPAP and change your tubing and everything out as recommended.

General tips for living with seasonal allergies

Frequently wash your pillowcases and bedding

Dust particles are invisible. They and other allergens can land on your pillows and bedding. So frequent washing will decrease the number of allergens in your bed. You may also want to consider getting hypoallergenic pillowcases to decrease your symptoms.

Put your plants outside

Indoor plants can often harbor mildew, which can make your allergy symptoms worse. So move any plants away from your sleeping area to help decrease symptoms.

Close your windows and doors

As we all know, April showers bring May flowers. When the weather gets warmer and things start to bloom, pollen counts increase. Even though it is tempting to open the doors and windows to air out the house from being closed up for winter, keeping your windows and doors closed will keep pollen and other outdoor allergens out.

Call your doctor about using a decongestant

If you have made all the suggested changes and are still suffering from your allergies, ask your doctor about using over-the-counter or prescription medication for allergies.