Congestion and leaks

General Discussion on any topic relating to CPAP and/or Sleep Apnea.
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englandsf
Posts: 1016
Joined: Thu Jul 10, 2014 6:17 pm
Location: Austin TX

Congestion and leaks

Post by englandsf » Mon May 04, 2015 10:05 am

I've had ongoing allergy related congestion for the last two months and it's causing me to mouth breathe which shows up as large leaks. I am seeing good AHIs but leaks in the 2-6% range most nights. Some down at 1%.

I have found that pass over humidification is the way to keep my nose clearest (higher humidity increases the congestion for sure) but does anyone have any other tips that might help?

Should I be worried about these leaks (I get 8 hours total so 5% is about 25 minutes per night)? If not, at what level do they become worrisome?

_________________
Mask: AirFit™ P10 Nasal Pillow CPAP Mask with Headgear
Humidifier: S9™ Series H5i™ Heated Humidifier with Climate Control
Additional Comments: Sleepyhead SW. NeilMed and Alkalol Nasal rinses. Veramyst. AutoPAP 11-20 cms. Started June '14, untreated AHI 31-38, with PAP around 1.

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Pugsy
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Location: Missouri, USA

Re: Congestion and leaks

Post by Pugsy » Mon May 04, 2015 10:17 am

ResMed doesn't offer Mr Frowny face until 30% or more of the night is spent in large leak territory.

My own personal line in the sand is 10% and even then I look to see just how far I went into large leak territory before I start worrying much.
If it is below 30 L/min (ResMed machine) I shrug my shoulders and move on because the machine is still reasonably accurate up to 30 L/min. If I spent much time above 35 L/min then I would maybe worry but it's rare that I go that far and stay up there that long.

All the above assuming of course that I slept right through whatever leaking was going on.

As for dealing with the congestion...each person has to do whatever works for them the best in this situation.
Fortunately my experience with allergy related nasal congestion is minimal and a little flonase every now and then keeps my nose quite happy when used in conjunction with Simply Saline for hydration.
In an extreme emergency (very rare) I have been known to use a teeny, tiny bit of Afrin but I don't do it very often because I know that I have been down that rebound road so I don't want to go there again.
99.99% of the time if I have a tiny bit of congestion when I start out the night I have found that the added moist air actually helps me breathe better the next morning than I was doing at bed time.

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englandsf
Posts: 1016
Joined: Thu Jul 10, 2014 6:17 pm
Location: Austin TX

Re: Congestion and leaks

Post by englandsf » Mon May 04, 2015 12:21 pm

Thanks Pugsy - the fact is, it's not waking me and only about 5 mins total is over 30 (which is the number I was struggling to remember).

I'm going to just keep and eye on things etc...

_________________
Mask: AirFit™ P10 Nasal Pillow CPAP Mask with Headgear
Humidifier: S9™ Series H5i™ Heated Humidifier with Climate Control
Additional Comments: Sleepyhead SW. NeilMed and Alkalol Nasal rinses. Veramyst. AutoPAP 11-20 cms. Started June '14, untreated AHI 31-38, with PAP around 1.

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Wulfman...
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Re: Congestion and leaks

Post by Wulfman... » Mon May 04, 2015 2:47 pm

Full face mask. You'd have no loss of therapy air.


Den

.
(5) REMstar Autos w/C-Flex & (6) REMstar Pro 2 CPAPs w/C-Flex - Pressure Setting = 14 cm.
"Passover" Humidification - ResMed Ultra Mirage FF - Encore Pro w/Card Reader & MyEncore software - Chiroflow pillow
User since 05/14/05

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englandsf
Posts: 1016
Joined: Thu Jul 10, 2014 6:17 pm
Location: Austin TX

Re: Congestion and leaks

Post by englandsf » Wed May 06, 2015 3:11 pm

Tried an F10 and the claustrophobia almost killed me. I only use it now when I am stopped up completely... and I still hate how it feels.

_________________
Mask: AirFit™ P10 Nasal Pillow CPAP Mask with Headgear
Humidifier: S9™ Series H5i™ Heated Humidifier with Climate Control
Additional Comments: Sleepyhead SW. NeilMed and Alkalol Nasal rinses. Veramyst. AutoPAP 11-20 cms. Started June '14, untreated AHI 31-38, with PAP around 1.