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AIR PRESSURE

Posted: Mon Sep 13, 2004 4:13 pm
by calgarty
Hi all-

I'm a new CPAP user and I'm definitely fighting the mask. Not helping that fact is that when I have slept with it the whole night I did not notice any difference upon waking up. One of the things I was reading in a post is that someone mentioned feeling like they are not getting enough air when the mask is on. That would be right up there among my chief complaints. Does this mean that the pressure likely needs to be increased? I am at 7 right now. Can someone also tell me if that is normal or low/high? And finally, does anyone know anything about nose issues and OSA? Even if not congested I have difficulty getting a good breath thru my nose. Doc wants to send me to ENT if CPAP doesn't work, which it doesn't seem to be. Could my nose be hindering the efficacy of the CPAP? Thanks for reading--may God bless you all.

Matt (calgarty)

Posted: Mon Sep 13, 2004 6:13 pm
by Titrator
Hi Calgary,

Welcome to cpaptalk.com!

Your pressure is considered to be low. My bilevel pressure is 19cm over 13cm. Much higher. You may need to go up with your pressure. You should consult your doctor about pressure changes. And yes to the plugged nose hindering your breathing. You may wish to try a full face mask.
Resmed makes a great one called the Ultra Mirage Full Face Mask.

Here is a link to it on cpap.com

https://www.cpap.com/productpage/685

As far as going to an ENT. A quick checkup could not hurt. If you have an issue in your nasal passages, perhaps they can shed insight.

Best wishes,

T

Stuffy Nose

Posted: Mon Sep 13, 2004 11:42 pm
by imacpappro
If you wake up with a dry mouth, stuffy, congested, or runny nose, dry, burning, itching, or bleeding nose, a heated humidifier will either reduce or eliminate these symptoms.

The pressure on you machine may need to be increased by only one or two points, a simple call to the doctor might fix the feeling of not getting enough air.

ICP

Cpap Pressure

Posted: Tue Sep 14, 2004 9:44 am
by SleepyTimeGal
I agree with titrator and Imacpappro, in that 7cm of pressure is not very high, and may be the starting point for your therapy. Call your physician about making any changes, increasing or decreasing pressures.

If you have any obstruction in your nose, and you have difficulty breathing thru your nose whether you are awake or asleep, then cpap therapy may be a little more difficult for you. The Full Face Mask, or the Oracle oral appliance may be options for you.

SleepyTimeGal

Posted: Tue Sep 14, 2004 11:29 am
by JudyAnn
Hi Matt,

I am new to sleep apnea and they first put me on a CPAP on July 20th of this year and I could not get used to it. After about a month of ripping off the mask and feeling like I was suffocating when the pressure got high, my Respiratory Therapist put me on an AutoPap to check to see what pressure works for me. Maybe sometimes I need a lot and sometimes I don't. I go tomorrow to see her after using the AutoPap for 3 weeks. She says she can read the software and see how I am doing. I think its important to get the right pressure to start when you fall asleep and then when you are sleeping. It took me a long time to sleep through the night with all this paraphernalia we have to endure but do not give up and find out from your therapist what pressure is right for you. I also finally had to get a chin strap because my mouth would open up during the night and I would wake up choking, dry mouth, etc. Getting that really helped me to sleep through the night.

I am finding out from these boards that trying different masks helps too. This board is a wealth of information and support. Good luck in finding your pressure and getting a good night's sleep.

Judy