Hi ResourcefulCoralSquirrel. There are a couple of things that can cause sinus irritation when using CPAP. Are you using humidification? If so, is it heated and have you checked the setting? Air that is too dry or too cool can cause your sinuses to swell and become quite irritated. If you are using cold humidification, you might consider requesting a heated CPAP humidifier. If you have a heater, I would recommend you make sure it is working properly. The second thing might be to check and make sure your machine has an air filter installed. Most machines have a small filter on the back of the unit. If the filter is missing, the machine could be pulling in irritants like dust and pollen and blowing them into your sinuses. I have terrible sinus issues as well, and I have found saline rinse to be very helpful. My doctor also prescribed Flonase to help open up my sinuses and treat my allergies. Before doing anything, I would encourage you to talk to your physician. It seems from reading your posts that you have significant irritation, and that is generally not a side-effect of normal CPAP treatment with proper humidification. Please let us know how you're doing! -Dan
Hi Dan, That's very helpful. I have a heated humidifier and a filter on my device. There is something to the swelling aspect you mention. I am not ever congested, ever. I feel that the swelling is the problem. I have felt the heat from my humidifier so I know it works. I have it set for the most moisture possible. The crazy thing is, I don't suffer from allergies or congestion. I do have swelling under my eyes as a rule which I am told is from congestion. I hate to add another drug to m y list for something I normally don't suffer from.
Hi ResourcefulCoralSquirrel. I understand not wanting to add another drug. Have you considered trying saline rinse? Many CPAP users have also reported improvements with breathing strips worn across the nose. If neither of these work, I would encourage you to talk to your doctor about the congestion. One other thing I will mention is that CPAP users should also empty and wash the humidifier daily and allow it to air dry. Masks and tubing should also be clean and dry before use. This helps keeping bacteria or other nasty things from growing that might contribute to infection.