STILL GETTING A BLOODY NOSE!

jean19540_0 · Post by **jean19540_0** » Sat Jan 15, 2005 5:41 pm

HELLO THERE,
COULD YOU PLEASE ADVISE ME I AM ON ABOUT DAY 16 NOW , I HAVE HAD A PROBLEM FROM THE START WITH A BLEEDING NOSE BRIDGE. I HAVE A VERY COMFORTABLE FISHER & PAYKEL FLEXIFIT HC431, FULL FACE, WHICH I FIND EXTREMLY COMFORTABLE, IT AS A INNER MASK WHICH CUSHIONS WHEN THE AIR STARTS COMING THROUGH. MY NOSE IS NOT SORE MORE NUMB, BUT I AM NOW GETTING BLEEDING MARKS ON MY FACE, BELOW THE EYES, WHICH IS A LITTLE SORE.. I TOOK PAULS ADVICE & USED DUE DERM, BUT THE BLOOD CONGREGATES UNDERNIETH IT. I HAVE SPOKEN TO THE TECHNITION, WHO ADVISED GIVE IT A COUPLE OF NIGHTS WITHOUT THE MASK TO LET IT HEAL, IF AFTER THEN ITS STILL A PROBLEM COME BACK & WELL TRY A DIFFERENT MASK. HE ALSO SAID THIS MASK IS ONE OF THE MORE COMFI WITH THE INNER MASK, HE ALSO ADVISED AJUSTING THE STRAPS, ( THEN I LOOSE AIR). NOW WHAT DO I DO THE MASK IS VERY COMFI APART FROM THE NOES BRIDGE, WHICH DOES'NT HURT AT ALL & IF I GET IT SWAPPED AND THE NEW ONES NOT SO COMFI, THEN I'M BACK TO SQUARE ONE...
PLEASE ADVISE

wading thru the muck! · Post by **wading thru the muck!** » Sat Jan 15, 2005 5:47 pm

Jean,

Try a nasal pillow interface like the Resmed Swift or Puritan Bennett Breeze to use for a few days here and there to let your nose heal. Neither of them have anything that touches the bridge of your nose.

Popinka · Post by **Popinka** » Sat Jan 15, 2005 6:10 pm

I am getting bleeding too. First night was really comfortable. Second night a little sore. Third night there was blood beneath the middle part of my nose and it was extremely sore (don't know what the technical name is for that separator part of the nose just above the upper lip is).

I thought that my mask was fitting well, could the pressure be causing this or could the mask be slipping up to my nose through the night.

Wader and others, do you use those nasal pillows? How do you find them. The medical supply guy told me that they were not as good and only for those who could not tolerate the mask...but a number of people seem to be using them here.

wading thru the muck! · Post by **wading thru the muck!** » Sat Jan 15, 2005 7:19 pm

Popinka,

I use the Resmed Swift np and last night tried the Puritan Bennett Breeze np. I like them both. The make the experience much more "normal"

Swift:

Breeze:

Popinka · Post by **Popinka** » Sat Jan 15, 2005 7:44 pm

Thanks Wader. Dump question, but can their be leaks with that type of mask?

I never asked you about your experience with CPAP? How long have you been on it & how is your trxt going?

maskedmechanic · Post by **maskedmechanic** » Sat Jan 15, 2005 7:51 pm

I think I am in love with the Swift babe. Anybody have her name and number?

wading thru the muck! · Post by **wading thru the muck!** » Sat Jan 15, 2005 7:54 pm

Of course there can be leaks, but as you can see the nasal pillows have a much smaller perimeter length to have a leak occur. If you use the right size pillows and adjust the interface correctly it will not leak very often.

popinka said:
I never asked you about your experience with CPAP? How long have you been on it & how is your trxt going?

I understand the how long question but what is the last part mean?

Hugh Jass · Post by **Hugh Jass** » Sat Jan 15, 2005 7:55 pm

Popinka,

I am a new user as well (+/- 4 weeks) and had the same problems. The bridge of my nose was bleeding, as well as the part right under the nose.

I too was good for about 2-3 days until the problem started. It really was painful to the point that I had to stop using the mask.

I switched to the Breeze with large nasal pillows and I'll never go back to a mask.

It's divine. (Under the circumstances !).

No more leaks, and I can sleep on my side too.

After two days use, I didn't even notice it on my face.

But, that's just me. Others have said they couldn't tolerate them and it made their noses sore. Everyone is different.

$ 250.00 is a bit steep though. I'm glad it wasn't out of pocket. It's maddening that it probably cost about $3.00 to make it in China. It's cheap plastic.

Regards

Popinka · Post by **Popinka** » Sat Jan 15, 2005 7:58 pm

I will try the pillows.

Trxt = treatment. Just wondering what stage you were at, how it was going, what machine you use, etc?

wading thru the muck! · Post by **wading thru the muck!** » Sat Jan 15, 2005 8:14 pm

Sorry for not picking up on the abbreviation?

I had my first of two sleep studies in June of last year and purchased my equipment in October. During the time between about April (when my doc and I decided I would get tested) and October, because I knew I would be dealing with this stuff for the rest of my life I researched it extensively. By October I had convinced my Doc to write a script for the machine I wanted and puchased it and the mask and heated humidifier I had also chosen. I've had very few problems from the day I started due to the fact I chose all the equipment that I knew it would work for me. Everything out there for sale is functional. It's how it will work with each individual specificaly that makes the difference. Only you, with the help of a lot of info and opinions, can make those choices. I use an auto-pap, the Puritan Bennett 420E as far as I'm concerned it's the best value out there. There are also other good machines though, as I said you need to choose.

Snuffle-nose · Post by **Snuffle-nose** » Mon Jan 17, 2005 2:05 am

Hello

yes the frustration of a a bleeding nose......I have had this annoying problem with my nose. There's medical proccedure to ease the blood nose, it is called "Caultrizing". This is to seal off the blood vessel that responible for the nose bleeds.

There are chemical caultrizing which is done after your nasal passenges are numbed before this is done,it's to close and seal off the fragile blood vessels which is near your tubinates.

The 2nd proccedure is a "electrical" caultrizing, from experince I found this as the didn't properly numb my nose before doing this on me, I found more painful then the "chemical" caultrizing I had this done but I still get the ocasional blood nose. As most of the ENT drs can fix the brittle blood vessel by doing a "chemical" caultirising the blood vessel, to seal off the blood vessels responsible.

I am one of the rare few patients who found out the cautrization has not worked properly to stop the bleeding as I still get the odd blood nose bleed.But that how the ENT hospital deal with the bleeding snoz[nose].

rested gal · Post by **rested gal** » Mon Jan 17, 2005 11:58 am

hi Popinka,

You mentioned:

Wader and others, do you use those nasal pillows? How do you find them. The medical supply guy told me that they were not as good and only for those who could not tolerate the mask...but a number of people seem to be using them here.

That comment from the medical supply guy .... pathetic. While no interface is going to suit everyone, the Breeze with nasal pillows has been around a long, long time and is extremely popular with a lot of cpap users. Certainly is my favorite - great for side sleepers. The Swift has also been received well by many since it came out last year. Even the Nasal Aire II has its fans (I found it too noisy and uncomfortable in the nose, but it suits a good many.)

As Wader pointed out, nasal pillows interfaces involve less "mask area" to have to seal to try to prevent leaks.

Popinka, the medical supply guy who told you pillows were "not as good and only for those who could not tolerate the mask" probably is equally clueless about how to fit any nasal pillows interface for his last-resort patients. Most DMEs (durable medical equipment providers - the "home health care" people) give people a Breeze with nasal pillows that are too small.

Example - I have an average woman's face with a small nose and small nares (the entrance holes of the nose.) To look at me, or to fit me with nasal pillows, one would think small pillows would work best. But, small pillows have to be crammed up into my nose, and still leak from time to time once the machine is turned on and I move around any. "Medium" are better, and "Large" suit me perfectly. Nasal pillows that are actually "too big" (according to the way most people would think they should "fit") stay more outside the nares, resting comfortably against the front of the nostrils instead of being shoved up inside the nose. The key is the way the headgear fits to hold the pillows assembly in place.

With the Breeze and large nasal pillows, I have no problem at all with the headgear staying put if I do these two things:

1. Route the main hose up over my head so it isn't going to "pull" when I toss and turn. I turn from side to side several times during the night. I put a swivel plant hanger on the wall about a foot above my head, hung a ponytail scrunchy from it and ran the main hose through the scrunchy. Others have success rigging up a bungee or a hook or a clamp on their headboard, or by draping the hose over the headboard, or even by wedging the hose between their head pillow and the headboard, giving a bit of slack. Just think of a fish on the end of a slack line and you can come up with a creative way to fix the main hose somewhere where it won't tug on the headgear of any mask when you turn over.

2. I use the side stabilizing "halo" straps (shown in the picture of the Breeze above) with my Breeze, but I use them much farther down (down at eyebrow level) than shown in the picture. The closer you place the straps down near the part that holds the nasal pillows, the steadier it is.

The Breeze stays in place beautifully for me. And the pillows seal perfectly against the outside of my nostrils, no matter how much I turn. Heated humidification makes it all very comfortable to use.

One or the other - Breeze or Swift (or both) suit a great many people. The little medical supply guy doesn't know what he's talking about. He probably regards the Profile Lite, Comfort Classic, and Comfort Gel (some of the nasal masks most often given to new users, and most likely to leak and/or cause a sore on the bridge of the nose) as "popular masks". He probably also attributes open sores on the bridge of the nose to: "You have it strapped on too tight." He probably fits masks on people while they are sitting up (straps tend to tighten as we lie down) and tells them, "That's a perfect fit for you now." I feel sorry for the people in his hands. Especially if they are not aware of apnea message boards.

Popinka · Post by **Popinka** » Mon Jan 17, 2005 12:28 pm

Thanks for the info rested gal, I will definitely give the pillows a try. I a afraid he is clueless. Irony is that he failed the sleep study and has serious sleep apnea...has to therfore be on Amitriyline vs. CPAP (prehaps he secretly resents those with trxt).

Rested gal, you use the autopap right? What stage are you in in your treatment and how is it going?