Sleep Apnea Mask Types

[Narcisus]

I've had my machine and a full face mask now for about 3 months and it's definitely making a difference. My problem is I tend to move onto my side which can be a pain with the full mask.

I decided to try a nasal pillow type it's a Resmed but after a few hours it's making my nose very sore not as in drying out sore put where the mask actually sits on my nostrils.

Any tips from anyone ?

[Portofino]

You mean it becomes uncomfortable as you rest on it?

There’s not a lot you can do apart from adapt how you sleep. Pillow height & position is crucial for me & I have just a few sleeping positions.

[Narcisus]

I actually used it last night for 4 hours and it was much better before switching to full face.

[Portofino]

Yeah it takes getting used to! I can only use the full face mask & at times I hate the bloody thing, but the benefits it gives far outweigh the negatives.

[Narcisus]

Portofino said:

Yeah it takes getting used to! I can only use the full face mask & at times I hate the bloody thing, but the benefits it gives far outweigh the negatives.

Don’t mind the ff now I’m kind of used to it but recently I’ve started to have problems with leaking although the machine always says 100% fit.

Usually starts after 3 hours or so I wonder if it’s wear on the mask causing it …. I know they also do a memory foam version I wonder if that’s worth a go next…

[Portofino]

The leaking is where you move in the night/angle of pillow etc shifting it about. The only real fix is to tighten the mask right up, hence I now have semi permanent mask lines on my face!!

[Narcisus]

Haha! Yeah me too ! I have dropped the max pressure down to 10 after a month or so of observing the levels I think the most I’ve seen since is 9.8.

[Somewhatfoolish]

Portofino said:

The leaking is where you move in the night/angle of pillow etc shifting it about. The only real fix is to tighten the mask right up, hence I now have semi permanent mask lines on my face!!

I don't agree - if it's the right size you shouldn't need to do that. Paradoxically you can make it too tight and then it shifts more easily. Best to completely undo the thing and refit from scratch.

[Narcisus]

I do this and seem to wake up multiple times in the night to adjust.

Leaks sides of mouth. Tighten.

Leaks into eye. Tighten.

Leak from bridge of nose. Tighten.

Farting leak on cheek. Tighten.

Next night loosen up for comfort rinse and repeat.

It really is a learning experience.

My AHI is probably hovering between 5.5 and 8 with the odd spike like yesterday to 9 but I put that down to 3 hours with nasal pillow before swapping to full face.

[VTC]

Try a magnesium supplement.
it was recommended and proved to be a help with sleep apnea for my relative

[Somewhatfoolish]

Narcisus said:

I do this and seem to wake up multiple times in the night to adjust.

Leaks sides of mouth. Tighten.

Leaks into eye. Tighten.

Leak from bridge of nose. Tighten.

Farting leak on cheek. Tighten.

Next night loosen up for comfort rinse and repeat.

It really is a learning experience.

My AHI is probably hovering between 5.5 and 8 with the odd spike like yesterday to 9 but I put that down to 3 hours with nasal pillow before swapping to full face.

This is exactly what I used to do until someone gave me the advice I just posted above - firstly make sure you've got right size (harder than it sounds) and secondly make sure the fit is right. If you're having to adjust it like that you didn't fit it right to begin with.

[anonymous-user]

Ive realised I'm suffering from Sleep Apnea

I often wake (when sleeping on my back) struggling for breath. It seems my tongue loosens and falls back blocking my airway.

Sleeping on my side stops this, but alas it's nowhere near as comfortable as being flat on my back.

[Somewhatfoolish]

lord trumpton said:

Ive realised I'm suffering from Sleep Apnea

I often wake (when sleeping on my back) struggling for breath. It seems my tongue loosens and falls back blocking my airway.

Sleeping on my side stops this, but alas it's nowhere near as comfortable as being flat on my back.

It is massively undiagnosed in the UK. I didn't actually qualify to be given a sleep study when I was diagnosed cause they use (or back then used anyway) a silly thing called an Epsom Score which essentially checks if you're passing out so by my answers I was perfect even though it was clear to me I wasn't. Fortunately in my particular case I was basically able to argue that I was a fat bd (that is what the consultant wrote in medical terms) so got one anyway but I would fight for it or tbh in hindsight just get a sleep study done privately, they're not very expensive.

Meanwhile my Dad who blatantly suffers from it cannot string a fecking sentence together half the time - the intellectual deterioration has been astonishing - but is in massive denial about it. Que sera sera. But please don't copy him, get this sorted.

[anonymous-user]

Somewhatfoolish said:

lord trumpton said:

Ive realised I'm suffering from Sleep Apnea

I often wake (when sleeping on my back) struggling for breath. It seems my tongue loosens and falls back blocking my airway.

Sleeping on my side stops this, but alas it's nowhere near as comfortable as being flat on my back.

It is massively undiagnosed in the UK. I didn't actually qualify to be given a sleep study when I was diagnosed cause they use (or back then used anyway) a silly thing called an Epsom Score which essentially checks if you're passing out so by my answers I was perfect even though it was clear to me I wasn't. Fortunately in my particular case I was basically able to argue that I was a fat bd (that is what the consultant wrote in medical terms) so got one anyway but I would fight for it or tbh in hindsight just get a sleep study done privately, they're not very expensive.

Meanwhile my Dad who blatantly suffers from it cannot string a fecking sentence together half the time - the intellectual deterioration has been astonishing - but is in massive denial about it. Que sera sera. But please don't copy him, get this sorted.

Weirdly I meet none of the criteria for a typical case.

I'm super fit, very low bodyfat, work out daily, great diet ( I even avoid anything processed and cook from scratch) and have little stress in life.

I think I might try the docs for a referral

[Narcisus]

Somewhatfoolish said:

Narcisus said:

I do this and seem to wake up multiple times in the night to adjust.

Leaks sides of mouth. Tighten.

Leaks into eye. Tighten.

Leak from bridge of nose. Tighten.

Farting leak on cheek. Tighten.

Next night loosen up for comfort rinse and repeat.

It really is a learning experience.

My AHI is probably hovering between 5.5 and 8 with the odd spike like yesterday to 9 but I put that down to 3 hours with nasal pillow before swapping to full face.

This is exactly what I used to do until someone gave me the advice I just posted above - firstly make sure you've got right size (harder than it sounds) and secondly make sure the fit is right. If you're having to adjust it like that you didn't fit it right to begin with.

I’ll try it tonight

[Somewhatfoolish]

Narcisus said:

Somewhatfoolish said:

Narcisus said:

I do this and seem to wake up multiple times in the night to adjust.

Leaks sides of mouth. Tighten.

Leaks into eye. Tighten.

Leak from bridge of nose. Tighten.

Farting leak on cheek. Tighten.

Next night loosen up for comfort rinse and repeat.

It really is a learning experience.

My AHI is probably hovering between 5.5 and 8 with the odd spike like yesterday to 9 but I put that down to 3 hours with nasal pillow before swapping to full face.

This is exactly what I used to do until someone gave me the advice I just posted above - firstly make sure you've got right size (harder than it sounds) and secondly make sure the fit is right. If you're having to adjust it like that you didn't fit it right to begin with.

I’ll try it tonight

If you've not seen already there are videos on ResMed website explaining how to (ignore the nonsense telling you to sign up for the app unless you have whatever the latest version is cause it won't work)

[Somewhatfoolish]

lord trumpton said:

Somewhatfoolish said:

lord trumpton said:

Ive realised I'm suffering from Sleep Apnea

I often wake (when sleeping on my back) struggling for breath. It seems my tongue loosens and falls back blocking my airway.

Sleeping on my side stops this, but alas it's nowhere near as comfortable as being flat on my back.

It is massively undiagnosed in the UK. I didn't actually qualify to be given a sleep study when I was diagnosed cause they use (or back then used anyway) a silly thing called an Epsom Score which essentially checks if you're passing out so by my answers I was perfect even though it was clear to me I wasn't. Fortunately in my particular case I was basically able to argue that I was a fat bd (that is what the consultant wrote in medical terms) so got one anyway but I would fight for it or tbh in hindsight just get a sleep study done privately, they're not very expensive.

Meanwhile my Dad who blatantly suffers from it cannot string a fecking sentence together half the time - the intellectual deterioration has been astonishing - but is in massive denial about it. Que sera sera. But please don't copy him, get this sorted.

Weirdly I meet none of the criteria for a typical case.

I'm super fit, very low bodyfat, work out daily, great diet ( I even avoid anything processed and cook from scratch) and have little stress in life.

I think I might try the docs for a referral

If it's purely postural then you may also want to look into a tongue stabilising device if you haven't already. Particularly cause if you do get diagnosed you have to tell the DVLA (I may be the only person who ever did that).

[Narcisus]

lord trumpton said:

Somewhatfoolish said:

lord trumpton said:

Ive realised I'm suffering from Sleep Apnea

I often wake (when sleeping on my back) struggling for breath. It seems my tongue loosens and falls back blocking my airway.

Sleeping on my side stops this, but alas it's nowhere near as comfortable as being flat on my back.

It is massively undiagnosed in the UK. I didn't actually qualify to be given a sleep study when I was diagnosed cause they use (or back then used anyway) a silly thing called an Epsom Score which essentially checks if you're passing out so by my answers I was perfect even though it was clear to me I wasn't. Fortunately in my particular case I was basically able to argue that I was a fat bd (that is what the consultant wrote in medical terms) so got one anyway but I would fight for it or tbh in hindsight just get a sleep study done privately, they're not very expensive.

Meanwhile my Dad who blatantly suffers from it cannot string a fecking sentence together half the time - the intellectual deterioration has been astonishing - but is in massive denial about it. Que sera sera. But please don't copy him, get this sorted.

Weirdly I meet none of the criteria for a typical case.

I'm super fit, very low bodyfat, work out daily, great diet ( I even avoid anything processed and cook from scratch) and have little stress in life.

I think I might try the docs for a referral

I’m a bit overweight but not a lot sleep people say losing it ( although I am ) would probably not make a difference. I think I’ve had it going on 20 years with gradual deterioration.

Got to the point where the only place I could sleep was propped up on the settee in the living room then after about 3 months of that couldn’t sleep there either.

I was pretty sure I had it for years and told different doctors multiple times but not one was interested dismissing it off hand or just glossing over it until one day I went down and the lady doctor was a breath of fresh air and said ok let’s find out shall we !

Had the tests and was diagnosed with moderate sleep apnea. I was stooping breathing between 23 and 28 times an hour.

Now had the machine 3 months. I did not wake up the next day and think wow but after a week I was not struggling to stay awake in the middle of the afternoon then it was not feeling like I had no sleep at all in the morning.

I have mildly raised blood pressure now and also psoriasis which if you hunt around on google could all be connected with SA although I guess you could connect anything with anything if you hunt enough ….


The machine is great you can hardly hear it all the stories of keeping people awake because of the noise are bs or at least that’s the case with my new devices.

Slowly learning to use it properly.

One thing I did do but never took it to the doctors for some bizarre reason was to use an app called SnoreLab which recorded…. Snoring …. I could actually hear myself gasping for air it’s a very strange sound.

If you think you might have SA grab that app and see what it records.

Another thing I would bet good money that my dad had it he was always going for a kip in the afternoon and his snoring was always ear splitting.

He died of a heart attack.

[andyA700]

Narcisus said:

Haha! Yeah me too ! I have dropped the max pressure down to 10 after a month or so of observing the levels I think the most I’ve seen since is 9.8.

I have been using the tight fit method for twenty one years and have no problem except the strap marks and a dent in the middle of my nose. I use a plaster if it gets painful and that works a treat, acting as a slight cushion. I also clean the mask with liquid soap every morning which helps with the seal.

[andyA700]

Somewhatfoolish said:

lord trumpton said:

Ive realised I'm suffering from Sleep Apnea

I often wake (when sleeping on my back) struggling for breath. It seems my tongue loosens and falls back blocking my airway.

Sleeping on my side stops this, but alas it's nowhere near as comfortable as being flat on my back.

It is massively undiagnosed in the UK. I didn't actually qualify to be given a sleep study when I was diagnosed cause they use (or back then used anyway) a silly thing called an Epsom Score which essentially checks if you're passing out so by my answers I was perfect even though it was clear to me I wasn't. Fortunately in my particular case I was basically able to argue that I was a fat bd (that is what the consultant wrote in medical terms) so got one anyway but I would fight for it or tbh in hindsight just get a sleep study done privately, they're not very expensive.

Meanwhile my Dad who blatantly suffers from it cannot string a fecking sentence together half the time - the intellectual deterioration has been astonishing - but is in massive denial about it. Que sera sera. But please don't copy him, get this sorted.

It isn't the Epsom test, it is the Epworth test and is a very basic, preliminary questionaire which will get you referred to a sleep clinic. The primary test is to wear a special monitoring device on your wrist, which measures oxygen saturation levels and also the number of sleep interruuptions during the night, basically the number of times each you stop breathing and the duration of each event. If OSA goes untreated, it could lead to hypoxemia and serious heart problems.

https://nasemso.org/wp-content/uploads/neuro-epwor...

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC28086...