Allergy season is still in full swing. Dryness doesn’t help when you are constantly sneezing or rubbing your eyes from seasonal allergies. But, do you consistently wake up in the mornings with your mouth feeling dryer than a desert from your CPAP therapy?
Many CPAP users report dry throat, nasal passages or mouth the morning after they use their machine. However, you don’t have to settle for that unpleasant feeling. CPAP Central is here to offer four things you can do when you find yourself waking up feeling like a dried-out prune:
- CPAP Humidifier
The first thing you can do is talk to your doctor about using a humidifier with your CPAP machine. Humidifiers help add moisture to the air that is passing through your nasal passage or mouth. Irritation from the air drying your airways out may cause swelling that narrows the airway, affecting the pressure of the air from your machine. Humidifiers help to minimize the irritation.
- Different CPAP Mask
If you use a nasal mask and your mouth is drying out, that means that you’re a mouth breather. The pressurized air is leaking out through your mouth, drying it out. You may need to switch to a CPAP mask suitable for mouth breathers.
- Stay hydrated throughout the day.
Make sure you’re getting your eight 8-ounce glasses of water a day. Avoid things such as coffee and soda, which can not only dry you out, they can also keep you from getting a good night’s rest.
- Talk to Your Doctor
If none of these solutions work, you may have an underlying chronic problem. In that case, head to your doctor and have a conversation about them prescribing you a nasal steroid spray.
If you have any questions regarding this or any of our other products, feel free to contact CPAP Central or talk to us via our live chat, which is available Monday through Friday from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. We look forward to hearing from you!