How well do heated humifiers treat the common cold?

[Erin_Belli]

It seems to me that my heated humidifier and heated hose have brought relief to a cold I’ve had for the past two weeks. When I’ve had a cold this long, it’s always a major cold, with the major classic symptoms of runny nose, congestion, cough, headache, etc. I’ve had these symptoms but they’ve only been very minor—just long-lasting. I’ve also noticed that the heated humidification brings me the same soothing relief as I get when I’m taking a hot shower and breathing in the warm humid air from the water vapor.

I’m wondering if the relief from the humidifier has had a long lasting soothing effect that has carried over into all of the waking hours of my day. After all, I’m using the humidifier for about 7 to 8 hours a night, while a shower only lasts about 10 minutes. It would stand to reason there would be a longer carryover effect from the humidifier.

I’ve only been using CPAP for the past six months. Are their any long-term veterans out there who’ve experienced similar daytime relief from colds, while using a heated humidifier at night?

[Goofproof]

That's not the function of the HH, but the added moisture probably makes it feel better. The increased air flow may help even more, maybe the increase in O2, kills the little bugs quicker. Jim

[Guest]

I have experienced the same phenomena, I was really surprised to find that my cpap helped shorten the duration of my cold--plus I was able to breath much better while using the cpap machine.

With cpap my sinuses would stay opened enough to get a good nights sleep, without cpap, with a cold, sinuses would be plug closed.

I have also experience fewer colds sense I started using cpap, about three and a half years now. I agree, xpap and H/H does open up the sinus passages while suffering from a cold, making it easer to get a good nights sleep.

Dan