No anti-asphyxiation valve on pillow masks?

General Discussion on any topic relating to CPAP and/or Sleep Apnea.
FlyingMoose
Posts: 129
Joined: Tue Jan 06, 2015 11:25 am

No anti-asphyxiation valve on pillow masks?

Post by FlyingMoose » Wed Sep 02, 2015 4:46 pm

I have a P10 nasal pillow mask, and noticed there isn't an anti-asphyxiation valve like there is on full-face masks.

The resistance through the mesh is fairly high, so if say the hose were to come off from the CPAP machine, it seems like you could end up breathing almost completely the same air over and over again. I'm concerned because this seems somewhat dangerous.

Has anyone had any experience with this?

_________________
Mask: AirFit™ P10 Nasal Pillow CPAP Mask with Headgear
Additional Comments: Autoset for Her 8.4-12.4

User avatar
LSAT
Posts: 13229
Joined: Sun Nov 16, 2008 10:11 am
Location: SE Wisconsin

Re: No anti-asphyxiation valve on pillow masks?

Post by LSAT » Wed Sep 02, 2015 4:51 pm

You don't need it on a pillow mask...you can open your mouth and breathe in the event of a power failure. You can't do that with a ff mask.

_________________
Machine: ResMed AirSense™ 10 AutoSet™ CPAP Machine with HumidAir™ Heated Humidifier
Mask: Fisher & Paykel Vitera Full Face Mask with Headgear (S, M, or L Cushion)
Additional Comments: Back up is S9 Autoset...... Buckwheat hull pillow

User avatar
chunkyfrog
Posts: 34377
Joined: Mon Jul 12, 2010 5:10 pm
Location: Nebraska--I am sworn to keep the secret of this paradise.

Re: No anti-asphyxiation valve on pillow masks?

Post by chunkyfrog » Wed Sep 02, 2015 5:01 pm

Mask designs are engineered to accommodate almost any situation.
Practically the only way a mask could cause harm is if it is used incorrectly.
I hate when people do that.

_________________
Mask: AirFit™ P10 For Her Nasal Pillow CPAP Mask with Headgear
Additional Comments: Airsense 10 Autoset for Her

User avatar
Pugsy
Posts: 63941
Joined: Thu May 14, 2009 9:31 am
Location: Missouri, USA

Re: No anti-asphyxiation valve on pillow masks?

Post by Pugsy » Wed Sep 02, 2015 5:40 pm

I actually just went and tested my P10 mask...with the hose not attached to the machine I could breathe easily as the air coming in from the hose was quite sufficient to be comfortable.
Now once I put my hand over the hose to block the incoming air (simulating a power outage) then things got more difficult in terms of inhaling and exhaling using only the vent holes. It was uncomfortable and there is no doubt that if I lost power and had no air moving that I would either wake up or simply just open my mouth and breath that way.

Now a while back I did this same experiment with the Swift FX nasal pillows..those vent holes are larger...and I found that in the event of a power outage and no air moving in the hose that I was okay just using those vent holes for air movement.

So if it really bugs you as to what might happen in the event of a power outage...you might look at the Swift FX nasal pillows.

With either one though if the hose comes loose from the machine there's going to be enough air coming in and out of the hose to avoid any discomfort or problems with rebreathing as long as the hose isn't blocked.

_________________
Machine: AirCurve™ 10 VAuto BiLevel Machine with HumidAir™ Heated Humidifier
Additional Comments: Mask Bleep Eclipse https://bleepsleep.com/the-eclipse/
I may have to RISE but I refuse to SHINE.

If you want to try the Eclipse mask and want a special promo code to get a little off the price...send me a private message.

yaconsult
Posts: 1099
Joined: Fri Nov 14, 2014 10:43 pm
Location: "Silicon Valley", CA

Re: No anti-asphyxiation valve on pillow masks?

Post by yaconsult » Wed Sep 02, 2015 9:16 pm

If the machine goes off, you can continue to breathe though the vent holes. It will not be comfortable and so you will wake up. The system is designed to work this way. You can not suffocate even if the machine goes off. There isn't a "valve" as the mask has a constant vent.

But you have got yourself worried about this, so you can buy a cheap emergency light with alarm at amazon for $13. You plug it into the wall and if the power goes out, the battery powered alarm and light come on. It's very loud. Here's the link: http://www.amazon.com/Powerout-Power-Fa ... 00IA9BF70/

_________________
Mask: AirFit™ P10 Nasal Pillow CPAP Mask with Headgear
Additional Comments: January 2015 Sleep Study Results: Apnea/Hypopnea Index (AHI): 80.2, Sleepyhead

User avatar
palerider
Posts: 32300
Joined: Wed Dec 16, 2009 5:43 pm
Location: Dallas(ish).

Re: No anti-asphyxiation valve on pillow masks?

Post by palerider » Thu Sep 03, 2015 3:00 pm

yaconsult wrote:If the machine goes off, you can continue to breathe though the vent holes. It will not be comfortable and so you will wake up. The system is designed to work this way.
no, if the machine goes off, you'll breath through the machine, up and down the hose, which will mean a LOT of co2.

the assumption is that you'll breath through your mouth, as others have said.

ALL masks have a constant vent, yet, manufacturers see the need to put an anti-asphixyation valve on any mask that covers the nose AND mouth.

think.

_________________
Mask: Bleep DreamPort CPAP Mask Solution
Additional Comments: S9 VPAP Auto
Get OSCAR

Accounts to put on the foe list: dataq1, clownbell, gearchange, lynninnj, mper!?, DreamDiver, Geer1, almostadoctor, sleepgeek, ajack, stom, mogy, D.H., They often post misleading, timewasting stuff.

User avatar
BlackSpinner
Posts: 9745
Joined: Sat Apr 25, 2009 5:44 pm
Location: Edmonton Alberta
Contact:

Re: No anti-asphyxiation valve on pillow masks?

Post by BlackSpinner » Thu Sep 03, 2015 4:09 pm

Last week in Whitehorse the power went off at 3:30am. I woke up instantly due to the extra work of breathing.

_________________
Machine: PR System One REMStar 60 Series Auto CPAP Machine
Mask: Hybrid Full Face CPAP Mask with Nasal Pillows and Headgear
Additional Comments: Quatro mask for colds & flus S8 elite for back up
71. The lame can ride on horseback, the one-handed drive cattle. The deaf, fight and be useful. To be blind is better than to be burnt on the pyre. No one gets good from a corpse. The Havamal

Janknitz
Posts: 8410
Joined: Sat Mar 20, 2010 1:05 pm
Location: Northern California

Re: No anti-asphyxiation valve on pillow masks?

Post by Janknitz » Thu Sep 03, 2015 4:16 pm

We've been sleeping with the windows open, and sometimes whatever's in the air stuffs up my nose to the point where I can't get any air in through my nose.

I'm here to tell you there IS an anti-asphyxiation valve on nasal pillow masks--it's called your mouth.
What you need to know before you meet your DME http://tinyurl.com/2arffqx
Taming the Mirage Quattro http://tinyurl.com/2ft3lh8
Swift FX Fitting Guide http://tinyurl.com/22ur9ts
Don't Pay that Upcharge! http://tinyurl.com/2ck48rm

User avatar
chunkyfrog
Posts: 34377
Joined: Mon Jul 12, 2010 5:10 pm
Location: Nebraska--I am sworn to keep the secret of this paradise.

Re: No anti-asphyxiation valve on pillow masks?

Post by chunkyfrog » Thu Sep 03, 2015 8:41 pm

Yesterday, I used the Panasonic oral irrigator ("water pic" by another name) and distilled water
on the mesh in my P10. It made quite a difference--got it cleaner than a toothbrush (which leaves them gray)--
I can actually feel the air flowing more easily. Now I have to do the same to my older P10's.

_________________
Mask: AirFit™ P10 For Her Nasal Pillow CPAP Mask with Headgear
Additional Comments: Airsense 10 Autoset for Her

User avatar
palerider
Posts: 32300
Joined: Wed Dec 16, 2009 5:43 pm
Location: Dallas(ish).

Re: No anti-asphyxiation valve on pillow masks?

Post by palerider » Thu Sep 03, 2015 8:52 pm

chunkyfrog wrote:Yesterday, I used the Panasonic oral irrigator ("water pic" by another name) and distilled water
on the mesh in my P10. It made quite a difference--got it cleaner than a toothbrush (which leaves them gray)--
I can actually feel the air flowing more easily. Now I have to do the same to my older P10's.
hmm, never thought of that... last time I cleaned 'em, I used an old brushhead on my electric toothbrush, and a bit of dish soap... seemed to work great.

_________________
Mask: Bleep DreamPort CPAP Mask Solution
Additional Comments: S9 VPAP Auto
Get OSCAR

Accounts to put on the foe list: dataq1, clownbell, gearchange, lynninnj, mper!?, DreamDiver, Geer1, almostadoctor, sleepgeek, ajack, stom, mogy, D.H., They often post misleading, timewasting stuff.

User avatar
MarylandCPAPer
Posts: 438
Joined: Fri Jan 15, 2010 1:15 pm

Re: No anti-asphyxiation valve on pillow masks?

Post by MarylandCPAPer » Thu Sep 03, 2015 9:54 pm

yaconsult wrote:you can buy a cheap emergency light with alarm at amazon for $13. You plug it into the wall and if the power goes out, the battery powered alarm and light come on. It's very loud. Here's the link: http://www.amazon.com/Powerout-Power-Fa ... 00IA9BF70/
Thanks for this link, yaconsult. For those of us whose power goes out a fair amount, having something like that would be reassuring. One never knows how quickly one will wake up or start breathing through our mouths when the power goes out.

_________________
Mask: AirFit™ P10 For Her Nasal Pillow CPAP Mask with Headgear
Additional Comments: Have also used Opus 360, Swift LT for Her, Optilife, and Breeze Nasal Pillows masks.
Started CPAP 12/18/09 Pressure 13. Changed to APAP 1/18/10, Pressure 10-16. 4/2014:Switched to AirFit P10 mask. PR System One REMstar Auto Series 550 with A-Flex for 5.5 years. 7/2015 to present: AirSense 10 AutoSet FOR HER. Range: 10-20

yaconsult
Posts: 1099
Joined: Fri Nov 14, 2014 10:43 pm
Location: "Silicon Valley", CA

Re: No anti-asphyxiation valve on pillow masks?

Post by yaconsult » Thu Sep 03, 2015 11:41 pm

You are welcome. It does work well and is cheap enough. You can turn the audible alarm on or off as you wish.

I have not been using mine but now that I'm taping my mouth, maybe I should reconsider it... I can breathe through the micopore tape if the machine goes off, but the resistance is high enough that I'm sure it would wake me up.

I think our brains somehow know that the air from the cpap is important. More than once, I have suddenly found myself wide awake the instant the machine stopped working.

_________________
Mask: AirFit™ P10 Nasal Pillow CPAP Mask with Headgear
Additional Comments: January 2015 Sleep Study Results: Apnea/Hypopnea Index (AHI): 80.2, Sleepyhead

User avatar
zoocrewphoto
Posts: 3732
Joined: Mon Apr 30, 2012 10:34 pm
Location: Seatac, WA

Re: No anti-asphyxiation valve on pillow masks?

Post by zoocrewphoto » Fri Sep 04, 2015 2:48 am

I use a full face mask, and I have woken up quickly anytime the power has gone out. Or the cat has stepped on the power button. (The cat is still standing there when I wake up).

I can breathe through the mask with the valve open, but it is enough of a reduction that I notice it pretty quickly. I would think that most people would notice it quickly, regardless of which type of mask they are using.

_________________
Mask: Quattro™ FX Full Face CPAP Mask with Headgear
Humidifier: S9™ Series H5i™ Heated Humidifier with Climate Control
Additional Comments: Resmed S9 autoset pressure range 11-17
Who would have thought it would be this challenging to sleep and breathe at the same time?

User avatar
knothead
Posts: 538
Joined: Fri Jan 24, 2014 8:58 am
Location: Corpus Christi, Tx

Re: No anti-asphyxiation valve on pillow masks?

Post by knothead » Fri Sep 04, 2015 1:22 pm

I've noticed that when we have a power loss I deflate and fly around like a balloon... thats enough to wake me up...

_________________
Machine: ResMed AirSense™ 10 AutoSet™ CPAP Machine with HumidAir™ Heated Humidifier
Mask: Mirage Quattro™ Full Face CPAP Mask with Headgear
Additional Comments: BP down & in control, Resmed S9 Autoset for backup & travel.