If you use a CPAP machine
[b][i]When your CPAP machine attacks[/i][/b]
I learned twenty years ago that I have central sleep apnea.
This means that my brain clocks out when I fall asleep and does not inform my respiratory system that it's time to breathe. This is plainly short-sighted and indicates a lazy, not-very-smart brain, one that doesn't recognize the potential risks of [i]not breathing[/i]. Sometimes my brain takes breaks during waking hours and suddenly I gasp and inhale delightful oxygen, realizing I haven't been breathing.
Ah, well. I am thus tethered at night to a CPAP ([b]C[/b]ontinuous [b]P[/b]ositive [b]A[/b]ir [b]P[/b]ressure machine, which I privately think of as my magical mystery dream machine. It helps. A lot.
After two decades of a lovely positive relationship with several generations of CPAP machines, Sunday night, the current trusted companion bit me.
As I have done countless times, I got ready for bed, put on the CPAP mask, and instantly felt a burning searing sensation in my nose and sinuses. Kinda like snorting in boiling water. It HURT!
What the?
I tore off the mask and inspected it - maybe a wasp or a viper had crawled into it. Nope. There was, of course, no medical source open except urgent care clinics, and I couldn't bring myself to race into one of those with my aggressive CPAP machine under my arm. Ditto with the police.
Hours later it occurred to me to Google this vicious attack via CPAP and sure enough, found it.
The delicate tissues in nose and sinuses can dry out and like a bad sunburn, become painful. No fooling,
The post recommended oil-free moisturizer. I don't know why 'oil-free' but I had some. It took about 1 1/2 days until swabbing out nose and sinuses with Q-tips soaked in moisturizer did the trick.
Finally I could don the mask and breathe and sleep simultaneously.
I share this only so other CPAP-pers can know what to do.
Sleep well.
I learned twenty years ago that I have central sleep apnea.
This means that my brain clocks out when I fall asleep and does not inform my respiratory system that it's time to breathe. This is plainly short-sighted and indicates a lazy, not-very-smart brain, one that doesn't recognize the potential risks of [i]not breathing[/i]. Sometimes my brain takes breaks during waking hours and suddenly I gasp and inhale delightful oxygen, realizing I haven't been breathing.
Ah, well. I am thus tethered at night to a CPAP ([b]C[/b]ontinuous [b]P[/b]ositive [b]A[/b]ir [b]P[/b]ressure machine, which I privately think of as my magical mystery dream machine. It helps. A lot.
After two decades of a lovely positive relationship with several generations of CPAP machines, Sunday night, the current trusted companion bit me.
As I have done countless times, I got ready for bed, put on the CPAP mask, and instantly felt a burning searing sensation in my nose and sinuses. Kinda like snorting in boiling water. It HURT!
What the?
I tore off the mask and inspected it - maybe a wasp or a viper had crawled into it. Nope. There was, of course, no medical source open except urgent care clinics, and I couldn't bring myself to race into one of those with my aggressive CPAP machine under my arm. Ditto with the police.
Hours later it occurred to me to Google this vicious attack via CPAP and sure enough, found it.
The delicate tissues in nose and sinuses can dry out and like a bad sunburn, become painful. No fooling,
The post recommended oil-free moisturizer. I don't know why 'oil-free' but I had some. It took about 1 1/2 days until swabbing out nose and sinuses with Q-tips soaked in moisturizer did the trick.
Finally I could don the mask and breathe and sleep simultaneously.
I share this only so other CPAP-pers can know what to do.
Sleep well.
