Aura Came Today - 1st Impression

[Snoozie]

Came home from work and my Aura was sitting on my porch. Of course, I had to try it right away!

I guess I had high hopes that it would fit right as soon as I put it on. (NOT!) 1st of all, it definitely appears to be designed for a man - the straps in the back are way too long and the velcro is too short. Haven't figured out what I will do about that. I think I'll have to cut the strap shorter and add another piece of velcro. Probably for tonite, I'll just pin it.

Then after trying many adjustments, the nose piece still pops out of my nose. I have tried bending it slightly (hate doing that since it is new) but still doesn't seem to be well seated in my nares. Don't want to turn and have it pop out. May have to try the pantyhose thing, but am trying not to as of yet.

Also, when I turned on my machine it seems the Aura is noisier than the Swift. I can hear every breath. Not so sure what DH will thing of the swoosh noise.

On the plus side, I love the freedom of nothing on my face. No marks in the morning, and it seems to be reasonably comfortable. I guess the real test will be sleeping tonight. Will let you all know how it goes!
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CPAPopedia Keywords Contained In This Post (Click For Definition): swift, Aura

[rested gal]

Hi Snoozie,

I'm curious...the "lockbox" on top... is yours beige colored plastic or is it clear plastic?

When I bought another Aura about a month or two ago, the lockbox was transparent instead of the beige color they used to have. Smart move, on Aeiomed's part, I think. Clear plastic gives the impression of lighter weight.

I could be wrong but it also seemed to me that on the new one I got, the straps themselves were either a tad shorter or routed a bit differently. For whatever the reason, the headgear of the "clear plastic" Aura fit better than the way-too-big headgear of the "beige plastic" ones I had.

Unfortunately, I had already chopped the headgear off the other 3 or 4 Auras I had been collecting, so had no intact "old" one to compare the newer one with. May just be my imagination that something other than just the color of the plastic "lockbox" has been changed. Dunno.

[IWannaSleep]

Snoozie, in the nasal interface tubes of the Aura, the two tubes that go around your nose, there are 2 wires. They intend for you to bend these wires to adjust the fit to your face/nares. So don't be afraid to do this because it's new.

This was difficult for me to do without causing the tubes to kink. In the end I need a larger interface than the ones they ship with the Aura. When I called, they said a larger interface was in development, but it has yet to become available.

[Snoozie]

Rested gal,

The lock box, (called a seal connector?) is clear. Hope I am referring to the right part. The adjustment bar is beige, I believe, though. Still figuring out how to adjust it without forcing it, but I think I have it where I need it.

IWannaSleep,

Thanks for letting me know about the wire. I didn't know I was supposed to bend them. Now maybe I can get a better fit.

[Guest]

1st of all, it definitely appears to be designed for a man - the straps in the back are way too long and the velcro is too short. Haven't figured out what I will do about that. I think I'll have to cut the strap shorter and add another piece of velcro. Probably for tonite, I'll just pin it.

Then after trying many adjustments, the nose piece still pops out of my nose. I have tried bending it slightly (hate doing that since it is new) but still doesn't seem to be well seated in my nares. Don't want to turn and have it pop out. May have to try the pantyhose thing, but am trying not to as of yet.

Also, when I turned on my machine it seems the Aura is noisier than the Swift. I can hear every breath. Not so sure what DH will thing of the swoosh noise.

On the plus side, I love the freedom of nothing on my face. No marks in the morning, and it seems to be reasonably comfortable. I guess the real test will be sleeping tonight. Will let you all know how it goes!

Snoozie,
I pinned mine the first night and it's been that way ever since--it works for me.

It does take a bit of bending to get it right (it may take a few days to get all the adjustments right) but once you've got it, it is so much better than all the other masks I've tried--no marks on my face or painful areas. I can sleep with out worrying about trying to prevent leaks.

Side sleeping is so much better too.

Hope you get to where you enjoy it as well as I do--Did I just say "enjoy it"? Hey, you even get used to the breathing noise. May want to use some white noise (like a fan) to help drown out the mask noise for your husband. That's what mine does.
Esther
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[Born Tired]

Duh...did it again. The above guest was me.
Esther
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[Snoozie]

Esther,

Thanks for the tips and nice words. I am a procrastinator with some things so I probably will be wearing a pin for a long time. It's not like I am trying to make a fashion statement with all that stuff on my head!

As for the white noise, I have an air purifier that I keep in the bedroom just for the noise. Don't know how much air it cleans but it does help me to sleep. Also, I am very bad about leaving the tv on. I am getting better about remembering to set the timer to shut it off. It is a habit from my before CPap days when I would spend half the night awake.

[Sleepless on LI]

Snoozie,

BEND THOSE WIRES!!! That's what they're made bendable for. You have to use those wires, along with the positioning of the lockbox, and for some people the adjusting bars, too, to get the Aura to fit just right. Also, make sure you have the pillow bar put on the right way, not backwards, so it won't pop off. I don't know if that's possible, but it confused me when I first saw it.

What pressure do you set your machine at? I found if you're under 10, you're going to be fine without any pantyhose to keep it in place. 10 or above gets if-ier and if-ier. Although talk to Wading and he'll tell you no problem even at his pressure.

Don't judge it yet. This is one of those interfaces that is really worth the configuring. Once you hit it right, you will be singing its praises, I'll bet. Let us know how you did tonight. I'll look forward to reading it. I wish you the best!!!

[Guest]

Lori is right. It took about two weeks for me to get mine to fit just right. I had to bend the living &*$% out of the wires to get it right. Now it is my favorite interface. Don't give up on it, it takes awhile. I use 12 as my pressure and have no problem at all. It makes a little noise when I breath, but not bad and it's worth it for the freedom it gives and it staying in place and keeping the seal. i don't wake up much to adjust like I did with other masks.

[rock and roll]

Sigh

I got guested, the above post was me.

[Snoozie]

Hi Everyone,

Reporting on my 1st night with the Aura. Before bed I did bend the wires and got a good fit. Tried flipping like a fish and it stayed put.

Lori, (I forgot to tell you my pressure is only a 6.) I also had trouble figuring out that pillow bar at first.

1st of all, the headgear was a little heavy (rubber portion) and I woke up a few times with a slight headache. But then, I have never been one to wear hats in winter because I have always gotten a headache after wearing them for extended periods of time. The plus is that headgear does not slip or move around.

Then I had to get up and put some neosporin on my nares since the shape is a little different from the swift. If they made a small, it would be perfect. A plus on this headgear is that the airholes are high up and you can't feel air blowing. Also, with my white noise in the background, I didn't hear any breathing at all.

Now, the worst thing that woke me up is the rainout. Everytime I would turn over or shift I got a schnauze full of water. I had to keep waking up to shake out the interface and wipe dry. I never had a problem with rainout with the Swift as long as I kept the hose cover on both parts. With the Aura it doesn't appear that it can be taken apart to put on a hose cover (don't know how some of you managed with this).

On the upside of everything, I am not giving up on the Aura and I still like my Swift, but no marks today! I like being able to switch. I am going to try no humidity tonight and see how that goes, and probably will have to bite the bullet and get that darn heated hose!
CPAPopedia Keywords Contained In This Post (Click For Definition): hose, swift, rainout, Aura

[Sleepless on LI]

Snoozie,

I was not a hh user and the only time I did use it while having a cold, I believe it was, I had the same problem with the Aura. For some strange reason, it does seem to hold the condensation more than other interfaces do.

I am a little surprised that after using the Swift and being "toughened" up already, you found a problem with pain from the pillows of the Aura. I found them like cotton, so soft and comfortable. Do you think perhaps you made the fit TOO tight to keep it from leaking? Maybe others have had this problem, too, but I wouldn't have expected it being that your regular interface was the Swift.

And if you think the Aura's headgear is heavy, I had to laugh, try the Breeze. I just couldn't get used to that one. TO ME, it was like wearing a lead weight on my head that WOULD shift every time I turned position, unlike the Aura that stays put.

Don't give up on it, as you said. It can take a few nights or so to get it right, but it's really worth it when you do (IMHO). Thanks for the report,

[Born Tired]

Snoozie,
I had the same problem with the rainout. The Heated Hose takes care of the rainout in the main hose but not in the Aura itself--our room is 63-64 degrees). Had to turn off the heat in the humidifier--just use passover. Had only 1 drop last night (and that was for 10 hours ). Just wondering if a "Little House on the Prairie" style sleeping bonnet would keep the hose warm enough from head heat to prevent rainout when the humidifier is on? Just a thought. Maybe I could get rich marketing Aura Hot Head Hats.
Esther
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[rock and roll]

I was a little surprised with your heavy statement too as I think of it as light compared to the Breeze and Activa and the other bulky interfaces. Keep at it, I love mine more and more all the time.

[rested gal]

Maybe I could get rich marketing Aura Hot Head Hats.
Esther
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heheh, Esther, sounds like a money maker to me!

But, but....a few months into production, you aren't gonna confuse us by changing the name of your invention to "Headrest With Nasal Seal Hot Head Hats"...are you?