Therapy Tips:

It's springtime again, at least in Arizona! Unfortunately, for many of us, allergies may come along with the beautiful weather.    

If you have OSA, having allergy symptoms will most likely have a negative affect your CPAP therapy. Inflamed nasal passages and sinuses and the congestion that goes along with that makes it much more difficult to breathe.  It is when we are most run-down and not feeling well that it is most important to continue to get a good night's sleep. 

There are a couple of things you can do to make using CPAP possible and more comfortable during allergy season.  First, try increasing the temperature on your humidifier.  The warmer the air, the more water molecules the air holds, and greater humidity helps relieve congestion.  It also soothes the nasal passages and sinuses, especially when they are inflamed and swollen.

DO NOT place Vick's VapoRub or any other product in your humidifier!   Such substances can damage the humidifier chambers and your CPAP machine.  Manufacturers may not honor your machine warranty if there is evidence that any substance other than distilled water has been used in the humidifier.  

Another option to help you sleep with allergies is using a nasal spray at bedtime to reduce inflammation and irritation.  Your physician can prescribe a spray that contains a low dose steroid or you can try an over-the-counter saline nasal spray.  Saline sprays generally add moisture and soothe irritated nasal tissue, but do not reduce inflammation as effectively.

Finally, if you are severely congested, you might try using a Neti pot just before bed to clear out and soothe your nasal passages.

If you suffer from chronic allergic rhinitis and/or sinus infections which do not respond to "natural" therapies, and you are unable to use your CPAP,  be sure to discuss the problem with your doctor as soon as possible.  

Articles of Interest

New Studies on the Negative Effects of Sleep Deprivation

We have all experienced sleep deprivation at some time in our lives.  According to a report by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), 35% of Americans are getting less than 7 hours of sleep every night.  Even more alarming is that 1 in 20 people have fallen asleep behind the wheel over the last month! (Click here for the article.)  

For those of us who do not deprive ourselves of sleep on a regular basis, we know how terrible we feel when we have just one sleepless night.  When sleep deprivation goes on regularly for a time it becomes chronic.  Most of us are aware of a few of the known consequences of chronic sleep deprivation:  daytime sleepiness, decreased cognitive function, increased stress hormones, weight gain, etc.  But scientists are now learning about more and more long-term negative consequences related to chronic sleep deprivation....

Scientists Find Correlation Between Lack of Sleep and Colon Cancer

Sleep Review reports on a study published in the journal Cancerthat found that people who slept an average of less than 6 hours per night had a 50% increase in risk of developing colorectal adenomas.  These individuals were compared with those who sleep at least 7 hours per night.  According to the article, colorectal adenomas are a precursor to malignant tumors. For the complete report, click here. 

Insomnia Leads to Bouts of Optimism?

Two Duke University medical schools recently conducted a study which confirmed a theory regarding sleep deprivation:  "Trying to make decisions while sleep-deprived can lead to a case of optimism."   

According to a report by ScienceDaily the scientists used a functional MRI to show that there is increased brain activity in the regions of the brain that assess positive outcomes during a night of sleep deprivation.  In addition, they showed decreased activity in the brain regions that process negative outcomes.

So how is this a problem?  Wouldn't we all do better to think more positively?  Unfortunately, the optimism the study participants experienced prompted them to make more risky decisions regarding financial gain while inhibiting their likelihood of making choices that would reduce loss.  In other words, "Late-night gamblers are fighting more than just the unfavorable odds of gambling machines; they are fighting a sleep-deprived brain's tendency to implicitly seek gains while discounting the impact of potential losses,".  For more on this study, click here.