Nasal Congestion

General Discussion on any topic relating to CPAP and/or Sleep Apnea.
TeexasTommy

Nasal Congestion

Post by TeexasTommy » Wed Nov 03, 2004 9:31 pm

I have been using my cpap for about 2 years now. For the last 6 months my nasal congestion has been getting worse. I have gone from my nasal mask to a full face mask. My cpap is a Remstar Pro w/Cflex. It has heated humidification. I have tried nasal sprays, both prescription and otc saline sprays. Nothing seems to last through the night. I have problems getting a good seal with the full face mask. My question is this, does anyone have any experience or general opinions on an Oricle type mask. One that is designed to fit in the mouth and not rely on the nose at all?
I am new to this forum and have learned something new already, namely the term "hose head". My wife and I got a chuckle out of that.

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rested gal
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Oracle

Post by rested gal » Wed Nov 03, 2004 10:40 pm

Hi Tommy,

I tried the original Oracle (hated it) and then tried the new, redesigned Orace (like it).

There's still one last thing I want to change about the new Oracle - and will, when I find a friend with the tools to do it. I want the airhole "nub" on the inside cut off flush with the inner flap so that my teeth don't rest down on it or bump against it. Then it will suit me fine.

The Oracle seems to be a "love it or can't stand it" interface. The idea is good, and the design is getting better. The new one is vastly improved over the original Oracle that had a ridiculous thing extending into the mouth called a "tongue guide".

The new Oracle is much easier to adjust for a more comfortable fit. The one thing that keeps the whole concept from being totally comfortable for me when I have congested nights and want to mouth breathe exclusively, is the need to wear nose plugs with it. In the same way that some people get "mouth leaks" (air shooting out of the mouth when wearing a nasal mask), some people (me!) get snorts of air leaking out the nose while wearing the Oracle. It comes with little nose plugs, and those do stop the nose air leaks completely. It would just be more comfortable to not have to stuff things up my nose to be able to use the Oracle. I've heard of at least one person who didn't have to wear nose plugs with the Oracle, but I sure have to. I'd say quite a few people had nose leaks, or else noseplugs wouldn't come packaged with it. Oh well. If it's not one thing, it's another.

The biggest aggravation that most people seem to report when trying to get used to the Oracle (original or new) is excessive drooling. Some even have to put several towels on the pillow to soak up the salivation until they get accustomed to wearing it. I had some of that, but not bad. Heated humidification is a must - and even with a heated humidifier turned way up, air blowing straight into the mouth dries mine out a lot.

Even with problems stopping leaks sometimes, a full face mask is usually a more comfortable way to mouth breathe. I hope ResMed will come out someday (the sooner, the better!) with a full face version of their virtually leakproof nasal mask...the Activa. I've even used my Activa nasal mask for mouthbreathing on some congested nights - by placing it over my mouth instead of over my nose. The top of the "shallow" size cushion blocks my nostrils off perfectly and I can mouthbreathe very easily with it that way. Wouldn't work for everyone - depends on size/configuration of the face, but works for me.

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wading thru the muck!
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Post by wading thru the muck! » Thu Nov 04, 2004 6:50 am

Tommy/rested gal,

I know a mouth only mask would never work for me and I can see pinching my nose closed all night.

r g - Very creative use of the Activa as a mouth only mask - I can see that working in a pinch. Also great idea about a full face version of the Activa. My guess is that alot of R&D went into the exact configuiration of that diaphram to make it work the way it does. Hopefully they understand the need for such a mask and invest in building one.

Just a thought - Have you ever tried using a "Y" hose adapter with the Oracle and a nasal mask at the same time?
Sincerely,
wading thru the muck of the sleep study/DME/Insurance money pit!

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rested gal
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creative thought....

Post by rested gal » Thu Nov 04, 2004 11:55 am

heheh, well that's a creative thought all right - the idea of a Y adapter to use both oral and nasal interfaces at same time. I'm afraid it might really confuse my autopap, though, as autopaps rely on reading air flow to decide "what's happening" and "what to do". There are already built in differences in the way some autopaps read some masks, even without trying to combine masks. Nice thinking outside-the-box, but I believe I'll stick to just one interface at a time... for the sake of my autopap's sanity. It seems to understand the airflow within a full face mask. I don't know how well it would interpret what's happening with two totally different configurations going at once.

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Post by wading thru the muck! » Thu Nov 04, 2004 12:30 pm

r g -

You've got that right - my limited experience with my 420E tells me when it gets confused it either shuts down or blows like a hurricane. Neither is a good thing.

If you hear anything about a full face Activa please post it - that is a fabulous idea and I would buy it immediately.

I'm seriously considering buying a second mask to switch off with my Activa as it is beginning to bother me at times. Probably a Swift - I'm leary about the nasal pillows for me though because my left nare is cresent shaped. Probably got punched in the nose one to many times as a kid.

Still mulling it over
Sincerely,
wading thru the muck of the sleep study/DME/Insurance money pit!