Nose pillows vs nasal mask

So, I'm still trying the equipment out...haven't purchased anything yet. I got the P10 nasal pillows first and found my nose dry, irritated and sore. I was also sneezing non-stop for a few days. Turns out I might have had the humidity too low. It was at 2.5 and I've since changed it to 4.5. It has improved a lot, my nose doesn't feel as irritated or dry and the sneezing has subsided for the most part. Perhaps I was just getting used to the pillows? I did however go back and get a 2nd mask to try.

The new mask is the Eson Nasal Mask and I must say that after using the pillows...I do like the air being around my nose instead of shooting straight into it. BUT...I cannot seem to get used to how cumbersome this mask is. Too many straps and it just feels big and bulky and hard to move around and sleep with it on. I wake up a lot because I am trying to change position and it seems so awkward. I have also noticed the mask leaves marks on my face and nose...whereas the P10 only leaves a tiny mark on my cheek if I've been sleeping on my side. I also have been finding it hard to get a proper seal on the nasal mask. So...I'm in a bit of a dilemma as to which mask to choose. I will obviously have to make a choice in a few weeks time. Last night I chose to use the pillows and slept quite well overall (I am still waking up during the night). Tonight I will try the nasal mask again...trying to give it a fair shot...but it just feels so heavy and big on my face, dunno if I can put up with that permanently. Anyone else have trouble choosing a mask?

Thoughts, suggestions, or your experience...please and thanks

There are pros and cons to every mask out there and my pros might be your cons and what you love about a mask I might hate. It's just the way it is with a mask.

I have never really had much trouble deciding on a primary mask...my number 2 main factors....comfort and sleep quality with comfort being primary because if it isn't comfortable then I usually don't sleep well.

If you like the way the Eson nasal cushion feels in general minus the overall headgear presence...take a look at the ResMed Swift FX Nano cushion mask. The cushion is quite nice and the overall headgear presence is much less than what the Eson has in terms of headgear.
https://www.cpap.com/productpage/resmed ... dgear.html
Also with the Nano headgear if you want to try the Swift FX nasal pillows...the Swift FX nasal pillow will fit on the Nano headgear...and I have a few spare Swift FX nasal pillows so just send me a private message if you end up trying the Nano and like the headgear and want to see what the nasal pillows feel like.
Free except for postage..new unused nasal pillows...if you happen to use XSmall, I have multiples of that size but other sizes are limited.

I know my own preferences and needs and the headgear on the Eson would be a deal breaker for me but while I prefer a nasal pillow mask, I was able to successfully use the Nano nasal cushion. You may or may not like it but might be worth looking at since you like a nasal cushion but seem to prefer less headgear.
Of course like everything related to cpap therapy ...YMMV.

For the P10...if you are still experiencing some sneezing issues you may need a little more humidity or are you using a heated hose? Using a heated hose allows for more consistent and customization of humidity delivery. Heated hoses aren't just about rain out control. They allow for consistency which nasal mucosa seem to like and less chance of ambient humidity causing problems with consistent humidity delivery.

Thanks Pugsy! That's great advice I'm not currently using a heated hose since my machine is just a trial unit, but I'm definitely going to buy a heated hose...especially since in winter I like my room ice cold and I know that's going to cause problems with moisture in the hose. I am leaning towards going with the pillows since it's far more comfortable and I think it's just a matter of getting used to it. At first when I put the pillows on I feel like when I breathe there is mucous or water in my nose...not sure if it's just in my head or what...I always blow my nose before using the pillows...but then once I settle down to sleep I seem to do fine with it. My only other problem with the pillows is sometimes I wake up and find the lower strap has moved from the base of my neck to the top of my head causing the pillows to come lose and blow air all over. The Nano you suggested does look a lot less cumbersome than the Eson, I might give that a try.

gummybear wrote: My only other problem with the pillows is sometimes I wake up and find the lower strap has moved from the base of my neck to the top of my head causing the pillows to come lose and blow air all over.

I have this happen with the P10 sometimes and I had it happen with the Swift FX nasal pillows when I was using it as my primary mask. It's one of the cons I that I mentioned that all masks might have in some way.
There's a trade off...more headgear stuff usually means more stable and less headgear means a little less stable but for me the sometimes less stable back strap moving upwards is much less of a problem than the all night problem of wearing so much more headgear.

My main preference is simply less on my face and head and I am more than willing to accept an occasional slip up of that back strap because it doesn't happen often and having to wear a lot more headgear would happen every night. Sometimes we just have to make compromises as nothing out there is totally 100% perfect IMHO. There's always some little something that "could be better". I found that there are several nasal pillow masks that I could be successful with in terms of using but some I just found that I preferred over others for various reasons.
I have tried many nasal pillow masks over the years and sometimes I will change primary mask when a new style comes out and sometimes I won't. All depends on what preference triggers the new mask happens to hit.

I never tried the Eson...I know myself well enough to know that all that headgear would be a deal breaker for me but I have tried a couple of other nasal cushion masks and despite my initial thoughts (about the cushion part) I did have success with the Nano. My other trial was with the Wisp which was very similar but it caused pressure on my nose which for me causes congestion. I fully expected the Nano to cause congestion also but to my surprise it didn't. Must be just slightly different in where it fits on my nose.
I am one of those people who find that the least little pressure on the nasal bridge area (that's where the turbinates are) cause pretty much immediate nasal congestion. Heck, even the pressure of my eyeglasses will do it if they rest on my nose just right. For this reason I have avoided any mask that touches that area of my nose and pretty much limits me to nasal pillows unless I want to go with a hybrid but then I have issues with the headgear on those masks.

Since I have used nasal pillows for years I find the air swirling around my nose (like with the Nano) a bit "weird" and thus it takes a bit of getting used to but if you find you are okay with the air swirling is better than the more direct nasal pillow...then you might really like the Nano. It's something to consider down the road if you are interested. I tried new things just because I like to try anything that interests me and it was always an educational experience. Now sometimes the only thing I learned was how bad I might have hated so and so mask...but I always learned.

I really liked my Wisp nasal mask for the six months I used it, it just plain didn't leak on my face. My problem was that I simply couldn't stop mouth breathing, so ended up with a FFM called the AirFit F10. It's all about personal choice, so there are other ways to go which you can always explore further down the road.

Hi, wow, I looked up that Eson nasal mask- that's a lot of headgear. When I started, I told the RT, I want the smallest mask there was. I tried the P10 pillows, and the Swift FX nasal pillows. Neither worked for me. Then I tried the Swift FX Nano nasal mask for her. That is my mask. It is lightweight, and minimal headgear. Very similar to the P10 in size. It is also made for a woman's size head. Then I have all the covers for the straps that Pad A Cheek makes. And the nasal cushion cover. It feels better than all that rubber on your skin. If you are able to try a diff. mask, I think the Swift FX Nano For Her might be what you are looking for.

Thanks so much for everyone's input These are extremely helpful suggestions and I will definitely research more and probably give that nano a try. I do think I'll end up with pillows vs a nasal mask, but the nano doesn't look too bad. I had no idea when I went back to the rep to get a new mask I'd end up with so much headgear...it's quite annoying. Another problem I noticed with the Eson mask is my ears plug up easily...just from swallowing and when I breathe in and out I can feel pressure on my nose...like the mask sucks in and out. It's kinda weird, but of course I'm still just getting used to these. I've had the Eson for only a week and the pillows for 3 weeks.

gummybear wrote: Another problem I noticed with the Eson mask is my ears plug up easily...just from swallowing and when I breathe in and out I can feel pressure on my nose...like the mask sucks in and out.

I forgot to mention it, but plugged ears followed by earaches was another reason I switched from nasal/pillow types to full face masks (FFM). It was something about the air going up my nose that caused the problem because it went away a few days after using my first FFM. That being said, nasal/pillow masks can be lightweight and comfortable, plus they can support very high pressures for some people.

I have both nose pillows and a nasal mask. No matter how comfortable my nose pillows, every once in a while my nose gets sore, so I switch to the nasal mask for a couple of nights. Then back to the nose pillows. This was originally happening every 5 days or so, but I moved up a size and it's random. I think it's just the mask gets mushed sometimes now, while I sleep. Funny thing, I have to use one size for the Wisp and another size for the P10. I use the Sleepweaver (the one with the leopard spots) when my nose is sore. LOVE it, but it leaks more.