Ventilator & Mask Question/Issue - UPDATE

[Madalot]

I don't know if anybody here will know, but since it's Saturday night I thought I'd give it a shot.

The F&P 431 has a valve in the bend where the hose connects to the mask (does this make sense??). This valve has never been a problem up until a few nights ago. Until then, when I first masked up, I could hear air hissing at that valve until I took a nice, deep breath in, then it stopped. I never worried about it much because it always stopped after one, good deep inhalation.

Unfortunately, it isn't working like that now. Last night, I sat there messing with the darned thing for over 5 minutes, trying to get it to stop that incessant hissing noise. Bear in mind, I'm ready to sleep and messing with it wakes me up again.

I had my husband look at it tonight (early) and he said it was definitely coming from the area near the valve -- so we changed out the valve with one from a brand new mask that I haven't used yet. Same thing happened.

Could changing the trigger type (done about two weeks ago) be contributing to this problem? I dread going to bed tonight because I hate messing with that thing to get it to stop hissing.

[KatieW]

Madalot, did you try using the new mask instead?

[GumbyCT]

I know the valve you speak of. It is an anti asphyxiation valve so you can breath if the air pressure drops for any reason. What I am not clear on is this hissing noise you call it.

Could the noise be coming from the exhale port right above it?

Or could you try moving that flap with something a bit dull like a cotton swab? Does it make the noise when just breathing room air?

[Madalot]

Madalot, did you try using the new mask instead?

No, but this mask is quite new, say about 2-3 weeks. The hissing is definitely coming from the valve area and we changed valves.

I guess we could just try another mask -- that might be the direction we have to go, but I hate to pull out another new mask and use it if that's not the issue.

[Madalot]

I know the valve you speak of. It is an anti asphyxiation valve so you can breath if the air pressure drops for any reason. What I am not clear on is this hissing noise you call it.

Could the noise be coming from the exhale port right above it?

Or could you try moving that flap with something a bit dull like a cotton swab? Does it make the noise when just breathing room air?

Exhale port -- you mean near the valve? The two holes on either side of the round plastic piece that houses the valve? That's exactly where it's coming from because if we plug those two holes, the hissing stops. But this hissing is LOUD and before, I could get the hissing to stop by inhaling deeply. Now, it takes me forever to get it to stop.

It doesn't do it on room air -- only when the vent is running.

[GumbyCT]

Exhale port -- you mean near the valve? The two holes on either side of the round plastic piece that houses the valve? That's exactly where it's coming from because if we plug those two holes, the hissing stops. But this hissing is LOUD and before, I could get the hissing to stop by inhaling deeply. Now, it takes me forever to get it to stop.

It doesn't do it on room air -- only when the vent is running.

No no NOT those

The two holes on either side of the round plastic piece that houses the valve?

are for you to breath thru when the pressure stops. Not a good idea to plug those. Maybe you need the DME for this.

The Exhale port I speak of is just north of the elbow and has many tiny holes. You feel the air coming out thru these holes. Sometimes those get clogged with goober-do and whistle a bit. Esp. if you tend to drool.

[Madalot]

Exhale port -- you mean near the valve? The two holes on either side of the round plastic piece that houses the valve? That's exactly where it's coming from because if we plug those two holes, the hissing stops. But this hissing is LOUD and before, I could get the hissing to stop by inhaling deeply. Now, it takes me forever to get it to stop.

It doesn't do it on room air -- only when the vent is running.

No no NOT those

The two holes on either side of the round plastic piece that houses the valve?

are for you to breath thru when the pressure stops. Not a good idea to plug those. Maybe you need the DME for this.

The Exhale port I speak of is just north of the elbow and has many tiny holes. You feel the air coming out thru these holes. Sometimes those get clogged with goober-do and whistle a bit. Esp. if you tend to drool.

Okay -- I got it. The exhale ports are higher up and I'm very careful at night not to block them. The leaking is coming from the two holes ON the valve itself. If you plug them, the hissing stops. What my husband said is the valves are not closing like they should -- they should only open when there is a drop in pressure and you need those holes to breathe (right)???

But we took a new valve from a brand new mask -- and it's doing the same thing.

I just went back and tried it to make sure the vent is starting out at the proper pressure -- it was. Minimum 14, but those darned holes on the valve are hissing like crazy.

Yeah -- I probably need the DME, darn it. I have a respironics mask I could use, but I don't like it --

Shoot Shoot Shoot.

[Madalot]

I think what I'm going to do is try like it is tonight. If it doesn't stop that hissing, I'll try a new 431 mask like Katie suggested. Can't hurt. If it still doing it and I can't get it to stop, I guess I'll switch to the Respironics ComfortGel (Yuck) and just pray I can get through the next two nights with it until I can contact my DME on Monday.

I just don't understand why, after using the 431 with the ventilator since February, all of a sudden the valve (valves) are sticking open. It doesn't make any sense to me, unless making that one change to the trigger type on the ventilator is affecting how the mask is functioning -- but why would it take over a week for the problem to surface?

It's always something, isn't it?

[HoseCrusher]

You may want to try washing the valve. Sometimes "things" get in there and impair normal function. A small amount of detergent in the water along with vigorous shaking the valve in the water should clean things out. I don't know if this will work, but you don't have anything to loose...

[Madalot]

You may want to try washing the valve. Sometimes "things" get in there and impair normal function. A small amount of detergent in the water along with vigorous shaking the valve in the water should clean things out. I don't know if this will work, but you don't have anything to loose...

This is true, but we took a brand new valve, fresh out of the box, and the same thing happened. We may try cleaning it as I'm overdue on the thorough cleaning.

[GumbyCT]

Could something be keeping the silicone flap from sealing? Water? Increase the HH lately?

[Madalot]

Could something be keeping the silicone flap from sealing? Water? Increase the HH lately?

I can't imagine what that could be. Ventilator doesn't have a humidifier so there's no water --

[Madalot]

It's the next morning --

We tried every 431 I had -- all brand new. They all did the same thing -- hissing like crazy from the valve area. I'm going to clean the 431 I've been using really well and see if that makes any difference, but I don't have a lot of hope for that.

I used the Respironics ComfortGel that I had in my closet and made it through the night, but I do not like this mask. One of my biggest complaints, aside from the fact that it's just not as comfortable for me, is I cannot operate those stupid ball-type clips it has. The ONLY way I can remove the mask myself is to undo the velcro straps to loosen it.

Plus, my lower teeth hurt because of where this mask hits. That's why I like the 431 because it goes UNDER the chin rather than just below the lower lip.

I came darn close to not using the ventilator last night, but I DID make it through the entire night until almost 8:30 this morning.

What a pain in the butt

[JohnBFisher]

Just a thought ...

It's possible that with the drop in temperature the air is drying out. It could be that a slight level of humidity helps the seal work. You might want to try a room humidifier at a higher level of humidity. I know ... one more thing in the room. But it really does make a difference how some materials function.

[Madalot]

Just a thought ...

It's possible that with the drop in temperature the air is drying out. It could be that a slight level of humidity helps the seal work. You might want to try a room humidifier at a higher level of humidity. I know ... one more thing in the room. But it really does make a difference how some materials function.

Hey John,

Thanks for this. And thank you so much for offering up some help. I really do appreciate the ideas.

The truth is that I really don't like the Respironics mask anyway and when it didn't seal last night, it was pretty much the icing on the cake. I really prefer the F&P 431 because of comfort and ease of using the release clips on the headgear. The 431 still seals fine on my face, but is leaking like crazy at the valve.

I spent most of the morning at my DME and the problem is the valve on the 431 -- it's not functioning the way that it should. We tried everything -- different valves, different 431s, different of both and a different VENTILATOR. We changed the settings on the vent and went all over the place trying to solve it.

In the end, we came up with a "work around" that while strange, if it works will be fine. I'm going to try it tonight --