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Because of the cold weather, catching a cold or a flu is in season these days. For most, dealing with a cold is manageable but if you’re diagnosed with snoring or sleep apnoea and you’re using a CPAP therapy, it can be a living nightmare.

Although wearing a CPAP mask while suffering from a cold or a flu can be difficult. Skipping your CPAP therapy can actually do you more harm than good.

Here are 5 top tips to help you use CPAP comfortably when you have a cold:

1. USE A CPAP HUMIDIFIER

To elevate the level of humidity in your room, humidifiers are used to help release steam into the air. A runny or stuffy nose is one of the common problems that CPAP users face. Even if they’re not suffering from a cold.

It’s an uncomfortable situation that CPAP users go through every day. But by using a humidifier, it can help elevate the level of humidity in your room. It can help you have a good night sleep without a runny or stuffy nose bothering you.

Humidifiers come in different types and sizes. It can be a regular humidifier, a heated humidifier, a CPAP machine with a built-in humidifier, or an attachable one.

So, find the right one that suits you best and have the chance to enhance your CPAP therapy with a humidifier in your home.

2. USE A FULL-FACE MASK

Using a nasal pillow or a nasal mask can be difficult and uncomfortable during a cold, especially if it’s hard to breathe through your nose.

By using a full face mask, you’ll be able to comfortably breathe through your nose during a cold or even allergies.

3. SLEEP ON YOUR SIDE

Sleeping on your side helps you be at ease when your nose is blocked. Use pillows to raise your head in a position that is higher than your body. It’ll help you improve the sinus pressure and also prevent a sore throat from coursing overnight.

4. USE COLD MEDICINE OR NASAL SPRAYS

Drinking cold medicine or using nasal sprays can help us breathe comfortably during a cold. Although cold and flu tablets can be easy to acquire these days, do keep in mind that asking your doctor or your local pharmacist for the right medication that matches your symptoms is best.

5. USE AN AUTO-ADJUSTING CPAP MACHINE

An easy way to handle the need for additional air pressure when you have a blocked nasal passage is by using an auto-adjusting CPAP machine.  

An auto-adjusting CPAP machine can help you by blowing minimum pressure to your air away while you sleep. And as you get comfortable into the night, the machine slowly increases the pressure that is needed for your CPAP therapy.

By following these simple tips, you’ll no longer need to skip your CPAP therapy when you have a cold. Which will bring more harm than good, not only to your cold but also to your CPAP therapy.