CPAP Supply USA Community

When a cpap user has a common cold, either nasal or chest congestion, will the air pressure make the illness worse by forcing germs deeper into the lungs?  I cannot sleep at all without the machine, and am very worried about what to do when I catch a cold.

I haven't heard of anyone having to stop treatment becuase of illness.   It may be harder to use with swollen sinus cavities, but I can't think that anything will be made worse with treatment.

Barbara,

There have actually been studies done by one of the top manufacturer's of CPAP equipment, and they found that bacteria are actually too large to be born along the airflow into your lungs. There used to be myths flying around that said you could get a nasty respiratory infection from unclean humidifier tanks/water, but we now know this isn't true. CPAP airflow can include dust, pollen, or smoke that irritates the lungs (just change filters regularly to avoid this!), but respiratory infections will not be caused this way (or exacerbated). Keep using the machine! =)