CPAP Hose Rainout
The use of a heated humidifier with your Continuous Positive Airway Pressure system has a variety of great benefits for sleep apnea sufferers. Moist heated air prevents nasal congestion often associated with CPAP use and promotes user comfort. Sometimes, water from the humidifier collects in your system’s tubing and results in an uncomfortable blowing of moisture into your nose or against your face. This unexpected discomfort can be a frustrating roadblock for you as a sleep apnea sufferer struggling to get comfortable treatment.
Why does CPAP Rain-Out Occur
When your CPAP humidifier is set to deliver moisture at too high of a setting, water can collect and condensate in portions of the airway tubing. This is called “rain-out” and may inappropriately cause water to blow into your sleep apnea mask. The wetness from rain-out is known to make users feel as though they’re drowning whenever their tubing shifts with nighttime movement. If not corrected, rain-out can lead to poor sleep due to frequent waking, redness or chapping, and discomfort overtime.
How to Manage CPAP Hose Rain-Out
If you’re experiencing CPAP rain-out, you can begin to manage it by checking the temperature of your bedroom. If you live in a region that tends to get chilly, ensure that your room is warm. If your bedroom is too cool, it’ll promote the cooling of your CPAP tubing thus promoting rain-out. If you find sleeping in a warm room difficult, you can also try a small, low intensity floor heater placed a few feet away from your tubing. Next, try turning down the heat on your humidifier just a notch our two so that the humidified air isn’t starkly contrasting the temperature of the outside air.
CPAP Supplies to Prevent Rain-out
Covering your tubing by using a product like the Comfort CPAP Tubing Cover can make a great deal of difference in reducing instances of rain-out. This cover keeps the CPAP tubing warm thereby preventing heated water from condensing along a cold hose.
Another option for rain-out prevention is using specially manufactured tubing for use with warm air humidifiers. ResMed ClimateLine Tubing Acts as a heat conductor and is able to maintain the warmth of the heated, humidified air. This ability to retain warmth prevents condensate buildup inside of the climate control tubing.
No matter which option is best for you, make sure that you’re taking the proper steps to keep your tubing line clean and moisture free. Watch for signs of moisture collection in your CPAP hose like a yellow or brown discoloration to the plastic. Verify that you are remembering to replace your CPAP tubing annually. These steps won’t prevent rain-out, but they’ll promote cleanliness and you’ll be less likely to be awoken by stagnant water against your face if rain-out does occur.
Investing in quality CPAP supplies is a great way to avoid discomfort with your sleep apnea treatment. Research the best CPAP tubing style for you and your environment, and purchase the other parts of you CPAP system from a reliable sleep apnea product retailer. As physicians, nurses, and respiratory therapists, here at Breatheeasycpap.com, we understand the importance of continuous positive airway pressure treatment in sleep apnea sufferers and strive to support their treatment as best as we can.
