One side of nose stuffed/clogged up each night.

[danjfoley]

On day 16 of this, and one trend i'm noticing. Every single night one side of my nose (a different one) is totally clogged up. I start the night with cpap in only one side. (swift fx).. when i wake up for the first time i almost always am not stuffed up anymore.

Just a coincidence due to the very warm weather in Pittsburgh lately? Maybe how i always was at night but never noticed it?

Probably nothing to worry about. Just wondering if this happens to anyone else.

[Kohkie]

I've been on a CPAP for almost 4 months now. I have had problems with one nostril being stuffed for many, many years. I used to sleep on my side, and the side of my nose closest to the pillow would always be the one stuffed up. Even when I slept on my back, one side or the other would stuff up. I put it down to allergies and always slept with a Benzedrex Nasal Decongestant sitting on my nightstand to help unstuff when it woke me up. When I started on CPAP, I started sleeping on my back exclusively. I too use the FX Nasal Pillows and I have only woken up with my nose stuffed 2 or 3 times in the last 4 months. So it has been a huge improvement for me. February in the California Central Valley is a horrible time for allergies, and I was having some problems with the stuffiness at night, so I added a bacteria filter https://www.cpap.com/cpap-filters/bacte ... covers.php to my CPAP and that cleared up the stuffiness at night. Of course I'm still stuffed up pretty much all day but its nice to know that when I go to sleep it all goes away. The fact that the bacteria filter helped so much makes it pretty clear the problem has always been allergies.

[Zzzzzzzzzzz...]

I go through the same thing, but tough it out with my Swift XL. Just purchased an Innomed Hybrid, so I hope this helps the situation... incidentally, it's normal for one nostril to be open/closed and switch often. At least according to my allergy doc. However, if one is ALWAYS clogged and difficult to breath through, a deviated septum could be the cause.

-Z

[danjfoley]

would a deviated septum mean that it was always the left or the right?

[Zzzzzzzzzzz...]

would a deviated septum mean that it was always the left or the right?

Yes, if severe enough. Depending on which way it deviated.
Mine's deviated, but not enough to block air completely... it takes a fair deal of congestion/swelling for it to be COMPLETELY blocked. On it's own, free inhaling? It's not so bad.

[dozeoff]

I've been on a CPAP for almost 4 months now. I have had problems with one nostril being stuffed for many, many years. I used to sleep on my side, and the side of my nose closest to the pillow would always be the one stuffed up. Even when I slept on my back, one side or the other would stuff up. I put it down to allergies and always slept with a Benzedrex Nasal Decongestant sitting on my nightstand to help unstuff when it woke me up. When I started on CPAP, I started sleeping on my back exclusively. I too use the FX Nasal Pillows and I have only woken up with my nose stuffed 2 or 3 times in the last 4 months. So it has been a huge improvement for me. February in the California Central Valley is a horrible time for allergies, and I was having some problems with the stuffiness at night, so I added a bacteria filter https://www.cpap.com/cpap-filters/bacte ... covers.php to my CPAP and that cleared up the stuffiness at night. Of course I'm still stuffed up pretty much all day but its nice to know that when I go to sleep it all goes away. The fact that the bacteria filter helped so much makes it pretty clear the problem has always been allergies.

Do you use these filters in addition to the incoming air filters? I have 2 cpap machines and they both have a carbon black filter (looks like a black sponge) and a white hepa type allergen filter for the air intake. If the air is cleaned coming in, how would it get contaminated going out? Maybe its not getting as clean as i think?

[Kohkie]

Do you use these filters in addition to the incoming air filters? I have 2 cpap machines and they both have a carbon black filter (looks like a black sponge) and a white hepa type allergen filter for the air intake. If the air is cleaned coming in, how would it get contaminated going out? Maybe its not getting as clean as i think?

Yes I use the bacteria filter in addition to the gray foam filter & the disposable fine white filter, which does not say HEPA anywhere at least not the one that goes on my machine. As I said previously I have always suffered from allergies, and being on CPAP was helping. I figured an extra layer of filtration might help even more, and it did. I did have to raise the pressure .5, but other than that no other problems, and I am quite happy with how it is working for me. Additionally, I live .41 miles from an extremely busy freeway so there is a lot of dust floating around. I figure anything I can filter out for 7.5 hours is a good thing.

[Grand-PAP]

Hi,

I very hesitant to even post this, because I'm beginning to think my sleep doc is a Quack. In my first visit with him as he was examining my nose he made the comment that periodically each night the nostrils alternate swelling (being clogged) and open. (Got an opinion about his quack-status?)

[KevinAC]

I very hesitant to even post this, because I'm beginning to think my sleep doc is a Quack.

When I mentioned to my doc that my nostrils alternately clogged he told me the same thing. The nose is designed to do so. I don't think he be a "quack".

[KevinAC]

I've been on a CPAP for almost 4 months now. I have had problems with one nostril being stuffed for many, many years. I used to sleep on my side, and the side of my nose closest to the pillow would always be the one stuffed up. Even when I slept on my back, one side or the other would stuff up. I put it down to allergies

I am the exact same way. I think I'm allergic to something in the house (we moved here in 2001). Had my first head cold ever in autumn of that year, and we only moved 4 miles north of where we had been. This spring we'll be removing carpets and installing hardwoods throughout the house - hopefully that will help.

But getting back to CPAP, I was diagnosed with severe OSA a few weeks back (AHI 52.7). I was anxious to get my machine and last night was night #1 and boy was it rough. After lying awake for three hours wondering if I had the mask on correctly, I had to take it off and sleep without it. I can't tell if I just can't breathe through my nose, or if the machine is trying to force me to breathe a certain way, or what. At one point my pulse rate started to climb, I felt flush and I finally gave up.

I called my home health provider today and they said my experience is very common for new users. They said to sleep with the mask a little longer each night. I wanted to go in and get a full face mask so I could breathe through my mouth, but I have to get another Rx for that. So I'm going to press on with the nasal mask.

[RocketGirl]

No quackin' on this one! It's a real thing called the nasal cycle. It was explained to me by my allergist years ago that it is a physiological congestion of each side in turn due to your brain selectively activating each half of the autonomic nervous system in turns. Each phase of the cycle is supposed to run about 3 to 6 hours before it switches to the other side, and it can be really pronounced when lying down. (That's when I noticed and why I asked about it.)

The allergist who told me this said that there are good physiological reasons for it (they are alluded to in the Wikipedia article), but that most people never even notice it's happening unless they have other factors in play like sinusitis or allergies or a deviated septum.

[dozeoff]

Kohkie -

You talked me into it . I'm going to get those filters. You are correct, the white fine particle filter does advertise HEPA. I too get a clogged nose alot of times and it could be the allergens that could make it through the fine dust filter. Thanks for the tip! I have a manometer so I can check to see if it changes my air pressure and adjust accordingly.

[Kohkie]

Kohkie -

You talked me into it . I'm going to get those filters. You are correct, the white fine particle filter does advertise HEPA. I too get a clogged nose alot of times and it could be the allergens that could make it through the fine dust filter. Thanks for the tip! I have a manometer so I can check to see if it changes my air pressure and adjust accordingly.

Hi Dozeoff

Did you get the bacteria filter? And if yes, how's it going. I've just been through the second yearly bad allergy time for me and believe it or not, not even a sniffle. I don't know if it's the bacteria filter or the fact that my immune system is in such better shape now that I am not depriving it of oxygen every night, but I am thrilled!

[hiwot]

I've been on a CPAP for almost 4 months now. I have had problems with one nostril being stuffed for many, many years. I used to sleep on my side, and the side of my nose closest to the pillow would always be the one stuffed up. Even when I slept on my back, one side or the other would stuff up. I put it down to allergies and always slept with a Benzedrex Nasal Decongestant sitting on my nightstand to help unstuff when it woke me up. When I started on CPAP, I started sleeping on my back exclusively. I too use the FX Nasal Pillows and I have only woken up with my nose stuffed 2 or 3 times in the last 4 months. So it has been a huge improvement for me. February in the California Central Valley is a horrible time for allergies, and I was having some problems with the stuffiness at night, so I added a bacteria filter https://www.cpap.com/cpap-filters/bacte ... covers.php to my CPAP and that cleared up the stuffiness at night. Of course I'm still stuffed up pretty much all day but its nice to know that when I go to sleep it all goes away. The fact that the bacteria filter helped so much makes it pretty clear the problem has always been allergies.

Dear Kohkie ,

I am suffering from clogged nose at sleep for about six years now. My problem is exactly similar as what you described. My nose get clogged up about 20 days a month in average. Every time, I wake up with a bad headache, my eyes felt heavy and kind of red (my friends say were you partying yesterday?) And since I don’t have enough oxygen at night I always have a look of tiredness not only the look but I feel as if I didn’t sleep enough. I always have to take pain killers on breakfast else I feel nauseated and throw up and have to take lots of cup of coffee to wake up. I have seen ENT Doctors they say the opening of my nostril is fine and have no problem of sinus and can do nothing about it and just gave me different type of nose spray which doesn’t work on my clogging at night and cause problems during day such as nose bleeding and some others. I really felt hopeless for the past two years and stop spending my time going to doctors and since I was a student just relay on pain killers and caffeine drinks to cop up with other students. It is just frustrating, I have no problem during day or when I sit or stand and just can’t get peaceful sleep when I needed to rest. Now looking in internet, it is a hope knowing there is somebody out there who get help. I am from Europe, I really wanna know about CPAP, could you please tell me which type you use, and how do you also get the bacteria filter. Do I need to be examined to select the type of CAPA. Please write me the full detail so that I can order itor tell for my Doctor. Thank you in advance.