Switching from Nasal to Full Face Questions (3)

Hey, I noticed that I mouth breathe more at night and wake up more if I run a few miles (2-3). I have tried tape but I woke up many times and found it uncomfortable. Does anyone know how long it takes on average to adjust to it a full face mask from a nasal pillow? I use an ASV but I am well adjusted to it already (5 years).

Also how long do these masks typically last?

And do full face masks need a higher pressure since the air isnt directly going into your airways like the nasal pillow does?

Zombified wrote:Hey, I noticed that I mouth breathe more at night and wake up more if I run a few miles (2-3). I have tried tape but I woke up many times and found it uncomfortable. Does anyone know how long it takes on average to adjust to it a full face mask from a nasal pillow? I use an ASV but I am well adjusted to it already (5 years).

Also how long do these masks typically last?

And do full face masks need a higher pressure since the air isnt directly going into your airways like the nasal pillow does?

Depeding on how new your machine is, it should have a way to set what mask you are useing and the machine would make any small pressure changes it needs to so when the air gets you it will still be at the right pressure. At least that is how I understand it, I am sure if I am wrong somesome will let me know

I personally adjusted immediately...I found the FF mask much more comfortable than the Nasal mask I was using. I have been using the Quattro for over 6 years and have am on my 4th mask. I change silicone cushions at about 8-12 months. I can't remember if my pressure changed...if it did, it was insignificant.

As far as 'how long do they last' goes, each one's different... I wore an UltraMirage FF for many years, but gave up when I could no longer afford replacing them (or parts) so often... very fragile, but now use the HC 431 FF and think it will last forever - diff. construction and not so many fiddly little parts to break.

With a full face mask (FFM), what typically happens is that, as the facial muscles relax with sleep, the jaw drops causing a poor fit with the mask. You might have better results if you would try a soft cervical collar to support your jaw. That would help keep your mouth in the same position that you use as you mask up and eliminate leaks if that changes.

Depending on the FFM, the straps that support it and hold it into position may cause a backward pressure on the lower jaw. This may cause a movement backwards and increase the frequency of obstructive events. Additional pressure may be needed to compensate. This certainly happens with chin straps (the manufacturer of my mask explicitly indicates NO CHIN STRAP) but I use a very different kind of mask, the Oracle 452 oral mask. It has its own galaxy of quirky problems to overcome.

The soft silicone in CPAP masks changes slightly over time and the ability to seal also changes as a result. I used to change my mask every 60 to 90 days because of the increase in leaks until I figured out it wasn't the mask so much as it was the jaw drop that was causing the leaks. Now, by using a soft cervical collar to prevent jaw drop, I am able to use a mask for over 6 months without problems.

Fit is the most significant factor in how long, or even whether, you will adjust.
A full face mask that did not fit ME never worked.
The one that almost worked, only took a couple of nights, and I wore it over a year
until I found a more comfortable choice.

Zombified wrote:And do full face masks need a higher pressure since the air isnt directly going into your airways like the nasal pillow does?

Seems like sometimes FFM do sometimes require a slightly higher pressure but since you are using ASV I suspect that will be a non issue because your machine can respond so quickly.
It depends on why you are using ASV in the first place. If it was for primarily centrals it won't change the response. If it was for complex sleep apnea as long as your EPAP minimum is a good base starting point it won't matter.
Usually when people do need a little more pressure with FFM it is only maybe 1 or 2 cm (if any at all) and your machine can handle that need easily since it responds differently.
Now if using regular cpap...might need a little adjustment but might not.

In theory X amount of pressure should be the same no matter which mask is used. In reality I have seen too many reports where more pressure is needed when changing to FFM to say it won't happen. I think that it likely has more to do with the airway structure caused by mask straps than the mask itself though. Meaning the lower straps of a full face mask tend to pull things back and that includes the jaw which could sort of make the airway smaller.