Hello my mask drips on my face!!!

[Snuffle-nose]

Hello people

I have a mask that drips on my face, this happens everytime the seasons get cold. It is normal cold most the time of the year, hate the cold...it mess up my sinuses something terrible. I wish the weather was bit warmer as I hate waking up to water dripping down my nose!!!

I am often a very restless sleeper and hate been woken up and I often make sure me mask is on so I don't have to restrap it. I getting to part when I get so cheesed off at the cold that I often wish our climate wasn't so cold. I do not remove the mask off me unless I have wipe the inside of the condensation [hate doing that] I am now used to wiping the mask without turn my bedroom lights on.[that a help]

My nose always bad sinuses, been operated on.....tubinate reduction.

[bedhead]

I have been told by respiratory therapists who handle my equipment problems that a dripping mask indicates that the level of humidification is set too high on a machine. Also have been told to wrap my tube with cotton ribbon to keep air warmer and keep connecting tube under the covers and to possible begin with water which has been heated before adding to the machine. Hope this helps.

[Titrator]

Hi Snuffle Nose,

You are experiencing what is called "Rainout". Wrapping the tube is exactly correct.

Here is a link to a Snugglehose hose cover that cpap.com sells.

https://www.cpap.com/productpage.php?PNum=957

I have one of these, the green one and it is superb.

Regards,

Ted

[rested gal]

If bedhead's and Titrator's good suggestions help, but don't totally solve the condensation problem of warm moisturized air traveling up through a cold hose (even a well wrapped hose) here's something else that a lot of people swear by. They order a heated hose from this online store in Australia and have it shipped here to the States. You use it with your heated humidifier - not "instead of". They say it's great at controlling rain-out:

http://www.sleepzone.com.au

Radio Shack has an "M" adapter for plugging it in.[/i]

[Yoga]

Ted,

Fortunately I only use a pressure of 7 on a Respironics Pro w/C-flex with a Respironics humdifier. However, in the state of Virginia with night temperatures now in the 60's, I have had to lower the humidity setting to 1.

I can see that winter is going to be a problem regarding rainout. Would I be any better off with a Fischer & Paykel HC 221 LE or just changing to a F & P humidifier?

I am aware of wrapping the hose and dropping the machine below bed level. My husband built a cpap hose support arm which is 35 inches above the top of the humidifier.

However, humidity is a critical issue for me. If I don't get enough humidity in the winter, I get sick. In the winter we keep the humidity in the house between 50 and 60 percent.

John Goodman stated in one of his newletters that 2 companies - one was Puritan Bennet, I believe, were coming out with spectacular changes in their cpap machines. Have either of these companies solved the rainout problem?

Yoga

[rachel]

I don't think either companies have solved the rainout problem as of yet. I am sure that once they do, everyone will be eager to pick up one of those cpap machines. I have heard from some that the Humidaire humidifier is able to produce humidity at lower temperatures. This helps to reduce the rainout problem. I don't think we will see an elimination of rainout alltogether.

[chrisp]

Humidity is relative . Thats why its called relative humidity. The same amount of moisture in the air can be 20% 0r 100% relative humidity depending on the temperature of the air. As the air travels through the cpap tube it cools. Decreasing its ability to hold moisture. Increasing its "relative Humidity" . When it reaches a point where moisture condenses in the tube Rainout occurs. The only way to prevent this is to keep the tube warm. Keep it under the blankets with you or use a heated hose.

Aussie heated hose http://www.sleepzone.com.au/showitems.a ... PAP%20Tube'

I have one and its great.

Cheers,

Chris

[UKnowWhatInSeattle]

I also sleep in a pretty cold bedroom. I often just have my humidifier in-line but not turned on. You get a little passover humidification (and great noise reduction), but don't get warmed air in the hose. The only rainout you get is from the warmth of your own breath condensing as it hits the surface of the inside of your mask which is cool from the room air.

[Bozang1]

I know this is old but here's my input for anyone looking: I have the same problem and water pouring down my nostril while I'm laying down trying to sleep does not help. Usually results in me ripping off the mask for the night. The issue is this: just like a desalinator, the warm moist air cools and condenses turning back into water. A shorter hose would help but is not a good idea for sleeping, especially if you move around a lot like I do. My suggestion is to keep the machine and hose at the same level as your head or slightly above. If your room is cold it will cause condensation inside the line so the suggestion for keeping the line insulated DEFINATELY would help.

[Pugsy]

A good many of today's machines have heated hoses available...that's the simplest and easiest fix for condensation in the mask or hose.
Not to mention it adds the ability to better control and customize the humidity delivered to the air.
It doesn't have to be sauna like hot either...I have mine set at 76 degrees F right now and my air conditioning set to 72....and I don't get any condensation.
Just because it's a "heated" hose doesn't mean it has to be all that hot.