Continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) therapy may bring much relief to people with sleep apnea. CPAP equipment supplies pressurized air to assist breathing passages of sleepers to remain open. Although this may substantially alleviate the symptoms of sleep apnea, there are also side effects, including dry mouth, congestion of the sinus, or other irritations, experienced by a sub-group of users.
CPAP humidifier can be used to fight these problems. The humidifier utilizes the use of water to make breathing passages humid and comfortable. Not all, but some types of cpap masks, contain humidifiers as a part of the product. We will also examine the best practices of CPAP humidifiers and give a reason why distilled water beats other types of water.
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What is Distilled Water?
The distilled water is subjected to purification by distillation method and is a good method of destroying minerals, bacteria, viruses, etc. The result is water that is extremely clean; no contaminants that can negatively affect the health, and thus this is the most suitable one to use in medical purposes, including in Continuous Positive Airway Pressure (CPAP) machines.
The Importance of Distilled Water in your CPAP Machine:
To have a successful sleep therapy, it is important to maintain your CPAP machine properly. A very important point in its maintenance is the implementation of the correct type of water in the humidifier. CPAP machines should use vapor distilled CPAP water because it is clean and has no minerals.
The use of distilled water in your CPAP machine has a number of advantages:
- Prevention of Mineral Buildup: Tap water has its minerals which may build up in your machine and cause scaling and eventually damage with the passage of time. Distilled water that lacks such minerals is used to ensure that such build up is prevented.
- Less Risk of Pathogens: Your health may be endangered by bacteria or any other pathogens that may be present in the non-distilled water.
- Enhanced Comfort During Sleep Therapy: With distilled water, you are guaranteed of a constant degree of moisture in the pressurized air that is provided by the CPAP machine. This helps to prevent a dry throat and irritation in the nose passages, and the overall comfort of your sleeping process.
The use of distilled water in your CPAP habit does not only contribute to a long life of your machine, but it is also important in achieving a therapeutic sleep that is efficient and comfortable.
What Would Happen by Using Tap Water in Your CPAP Machine?
There are several consequences of using tap water in your CPAP machine – not only does it have an adverse effect on performance but also poses a health hazard due to the risk of inhaling unhealthy microorganisms. The tap water is either carried to you through a local water utility service or a private well.
Although tap water is most of the time safe to drink, it is not generally suggested to use it in CPAP machines. This is because, in your stomach, there are acids that will destroy any microorganism ingested that is present in tap water, whereas, in your respiratory tract there is no such defense mechanism.
In the absence of distilled water, the immediate solution would be to use bottled water that is purified or filtered water. Nevertheless, this can require you to clean your machine more deeply so that there will be no unnecessary accumulation of stones in the humidifier tank.
Microorganisms will be killed by boiling tap water, but it will not take away minerals and salts. Thus, mineral deposits in the CPAP machine may still take place in case of boiled tap water.
