Can You Use Bottled Water In Cpap

People with sleep apnea stop animate during sleep. This tin happen many times in one night.

The condition is often treated with a continuous positive airway force per unit area (CPAP) car. This device works by delivering a menstruation of pressurized air through a mask to keep airways open.

CPAP machines often take heated humidifiers. The instructions typically say you should employ distilled water in the humidifier.

This commodity discusses the benefits of a CPAP humidifier. It also looks at when and why you should use distilled water in your CPAP machine.

Verywell / Brianna Gilmartin

Benefits of a CPAP Humidifier

A heated humidifier can make your CPAP machine much more than comfortable. It can reduce dry oral fissure and congestion.

A CPAP humidifier prevents dryness, particularly in the nose and sinuses. This may reduce the risks of:

Infections
Nasal congestion
Inflammation
Nosebleeds

Outside factors may touch how frequently you use your humidifier. Local climate and personal preference may all play a role. Depending on your manufacturer, you may be able to modify the temperature and humidity levels.

If you're using standard tubing, condensation within the tubes may cause issues. This is sometimes called "rainout." It is more than of a problem when your bedroom is cool.

ClimateLine heated tubing can help prevent this problem when you lot turn up the humidity.

When possible, avoid letting the humidifier run dry out. This can cause the motor to overheat. Refilling the water reservoir every night can prevent this.

Can Y'all Employ Tap Water With a CPAP Humidfier?

The safety of your CPAP machine depends on the quality of the water you apply. Tap water may comprise microbes, minerals, and chemic contaminants.

You tin can kill microbes by boiling water. Humid does non remove minerals or chemical contaminants, though.

Minerals like calcium, magnesium, and atomic number 26 are what make your water "difficult." If they are in the water you lot utilize in your humidifier, they will cause a build-up of mineral deposits, called scale. This could damage the machine.

Filtering tin can remove some of the minerals. It may non remove microbes or other chemicals, though. Bottled, distilled water is the safest option.

Distilled water prevents mineral deposits. This extends the life of the water tub. Still, you will need to replace the water tub every six months or then anyhow. For this reason, it may exist less important to extend the life of the water tub.

It's fine to occasionally use tap h2o to clean your CPAP machine.

Most manufacturers recommend using distilled water in a CPAP humidifier.

What You Shouldn't Put in Your CPAP Humidifier

Retrieve that yous are exposing your lungs to the water you put in the humidifier. This is a proficient reason to clean it regularly. Do not add substances to the water that might be harmful to exhale. Examples include:

Perfumes
Colognes
Scented oils

When cleaning your humidifier, don't apply:

Bleach
Alcohol
Chlorine
Ammonia
Moisturizing, glycerine-based, and antibacterial soaps

These substances could damage your lungs. You should too avoid using h2o softeners and descaling agents in the water tub.

Recap

Whatever chemicals you put in the humidifier tub will stop up in your lungs. Avoid adding perfumes or other scented products to the water, and don't clean the humidifier with harsh cleaning agents.

What H2o Should You Employ When Traveling?

When traveling in areas with poor water quality, apply distilled water in your humidifier. If the h2o is non safe for you to potable, it is not prophylactic to put in your CPAP humidifier. In this case, using distilled water will limit your exposure to harmful substances.

For example, a few people in Louisiana who used tap water in Neti pots developed a rare infection of the brain caused by an amoeba. This condition is usually fatal and treatment is well-nigh always ineffective.

The aforementioned risk has non been demonstrated with the utilize of a CPAP humidifier. Still, it is a good example of how dangerous microbes tin can sometimes exist found in tap water.

Where to Buy Distilled Water

You can buy distilled water at many grocery stores. It is not the same as regular bottled or filtered water, and so read the label advisedly.

Exterior of the United States, distilled water may be limited to specialty stores. In some cases you lot may demand to buy it from a hardware store.

Summary

Using the humidifier in your CPAP machine can help prevent problems in your nose and sinuses.

Some tap h2o may be prophylactic to utilise in your CPAP humidifier, but the safest pick is distilled water. Tap water sometimes contains minerals that will build up inside your machine. Information technology may besides contain dangerous microbes and chemicals.

Avoid calculation things like perfumes or scented oils to your humidifier water. Avert harsh cleaning agents when cleaning your device.

When traveling to areas with dangerous water, always use distilled water.

A Give-and-take From Verywell

If in that location is any doubtfulness about the safe or quality of the water supply, apply distilled water in your CPAP humidifier. This is especially true if you are traveling in parts of the world where the water is unsafe.

If y'all don't have access to safety h2o, you may desire to consider using the CPAP without the humidifier.

Often Asked Questions

Is it possible to make your own distilled water for a humidifier?

Yeah, information technology is possible to make your ain distilled water at home past creating a condensing steam. A large pot with lid, a heat source, a bowl, and ice cubes are the necessary supplies to create the condensation (water vapor).
Can a CPAP exist used without water?

Yes, you tin can apply a CPAP machine without the humidifier element, and therefore, without water. The machine will go along to work and will simply use dry out air.

Verywell Wellness uses merely high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read our editorial process to learn more almost how nosotros fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.

By Brandon Peters, MD
Brandon Peters, Doctor, is a board-certified neurologist and slumber medicine specialist.

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