| Popis: |
Humidification of inspired air is critical for the protection of the airways and alveoli of the lung.The nose is a highly efficient conditioner of inspired air with a large mucosal surface area and an airpath designed to create turbulent flow. Normal upper airway function can be interfered with by the use of positive airway pressure (PAP) therapy, leading to symptoms such as nasal congestion, dry nose or throat, sore throat and epistaxis.These symptoms are caused by mouth leaks, which during PAP treatment lead to high unidirectional nasal airflow. This has a cooling and drying effect on the nasal mucosa which leads to mucosal inflammation, rebound nasal congestion and an increase in nasal resistance creating a potential vicious circle.The symptoms are a common side effect of PAP therapy and may decrease both compliance and the effective pressure delivered to the oropharynx. Adequate humidification of inspired air attenuates these increases in nasal resistance, symptoms, and may increase compliance with therapy. The types of humidifiers available, their limitations, alternatives to humidification and the current prescription practice for humidification will also be discussed. |
