Question for Soyala Nasal Mask Users

I have been using the Soyala nasal mask for a few months. It started out fine with my usual every few hours awaking. Unfortunately for me this is the norm, but in the past week or so the mask is leaking near the bridge of the nose. I woke with a really bad dry eye on several occassions. I changed the silicon piece and no change.

Anyone have any ideas? There is no weight change in either direction and I am at a loss of why this is happening and if there is a remedy. I thought this was the mask for me and really want it to work.

Thanks............

Sleepless_in_ny

I have the previous version of Soyola.
I have the same exact problem, I guess they kept the same silicon cushion for this newer model.
The cushion is made of a very thin and weak silicon that deforms in time.
To avoid the leak, I lowered the forehead contact.
Now I have no leaks but wake up with a red track on my nose bridge.

sleepless_in_ny wrote:I have been using the Soyala nasal mask for a few months. It started out fine with my usual every few hours awaking. Unfortunately for me this is the norm, but in the past week or so the mask is leaking near the bridge of the nose. I woke with a really bad dry eye on several occassions. I changed the silicon piece and no change.

Anyone have any ideas? There is no weight change in either direction and I am at a loss of why this is happening and if there is a remedy. I thought this was the mask for me and really want it to work.

Thanks............

Sleepless_in_ny

I hate to suggest perhaps the obvious, but washing your face nightly, along with at least a weekly washing of the mask can be very helpful.
I've had my Soyala nasal since December 2006, and have not had any problems in this regard.

Vader

Thanks but I do that regularly, sorry I should have stated it. I did read another post I found after mine and I am going to try to play around with the forehead bar and see if that helps. I did call Somnotech but they didn't have much input.

How do you compare Soyala to Comfortgel in terms of noise and comfort?

For me the Comfort Gel (which I still like) is quiet but the Soyala is quieter. Actually I am amazed on how quiet it is.

Ergin wrote:How do you compare Soyala to Comfortgel in terms of noise and comfort?

I have a ComfortGel, I used it a few weeks, it was what made me decide to go back to trying a nasal mask. I was using the UMFF before that and became more and more tired again.

I got the ComfortGel free with my M series Auto from a price-match with CPAP.com, not only did they match the price they gave me the free mask their competitor was offering.

I had one of the first ComfortGels, didn't care much for it, I also had a Profile lite in the early days.

I see the current ComfortGel an improvement over the first version and a HUGE improvement over the Profile Lite. I wouldn't bother with the latter.

But I found the ComfortGel comfortable, I didn't have any leak problems, I had to reboil it once to get it more comfortable, but after I did that it was fine. It was a bit noisy for my tastes, but if it was the only mask I had to use, I could use it every night with ear plugs.

Compared to the Soyala:

Headgear: I find I can wear the headgear much looser with Soyala than with the ComfortGel. Besides the Soyala headgear already being "streatchy", pretty hard to overtighten something that streatches, but it does stop stretching at some point. Headgear on the ComfortGel is the same as with the Classic series from what I can tell. Their headgear has always been fine for me.

Headgear Quick-Release: Both have quick release at the bottom, Soyala has it at the top too. I hate that ball-n-socket attachement system on the Respironics masks. They used to include an extra set in the package in case you broke one, they don't even do that any more, of course they may have gone to better quality plastic, I haven't read too much like there was in the beginning of them breaking. But the Soyala clips win here too. They are so simple a design it isn't funny, just 4ea simple ciips. They stay put, they are easy to find and unhook even in the dark without a mirror.

Noise: There is no comparison on the noise factor, Soyala wins that one hands down. It is silent compared to any other interface I have ever used.

Exhaust: Most interfaces blow a stream of air out like a unicorn horn. Put your hand about 12" away at 9cm pressure in front of a Quattro and see what you get, no that bad with the ComfortGel but you can feel it. Most of the noise a mask is going to make comes from its exhaust. Soyala wins here too, it is very difficult to find where the exhaust is even coming from. But it is there, it is "diffused" in a 360 degree pattern around the elbow swivel. It comes out right around that main silicone ring that holds the ball-elbow in place. If you unscrew that ring and observe the other side you see it has a series of cogs around it that maintain the space for the exhaled air to exhaust.

Elbow: Probably the most manuervable elbow system found on any interface. It doesn't just swivel at 360 degrees like the ComfortGel, it can swivel out about 30 degrees from 90. I did have a problem with my nasal when I first got it, I'd wake up to find the hose and elbow on the floor mask still on my face. Guess I just got a bad one, they sent me another and it didn't do that. I put some hot-melt glue on the first and it solved that problem. The full face has the same elbow design and works just as well. The only negative thing about that elbow if you push in on the elbow assembly it can leak around the ball-elbow. According to my reports, it doesn't appear to be a problem, I've obtained some nights with nary a leak with that mask.

Cushion Comfort/leaks: I normally wear a medium in say a ComfortGel or UltraMirageII mask, I felt I was getting too much pressure on the physical outside of my nose contributing to nasal congestion. I use a BreatheRight strip under the mask. So for the Soyala nasal I thought I would try a Large size instead. That appears to have worked out good. Now I get no outside pressure from the cushion contributing to nasal congestion. I still do the saline rhino rinse regularly and wear a BreatheRight strip under the mask. Works for me.

First few days I did have a pretty good welt on the bridge of my nose in the morning. I just kept adjusting that mask and strap tension every night until I found the settings that stopped leaks into my eyes and it hasn't returned. I wash my face before bed, I think the welt I was getting was from the cushion not slipping against my skin more so than too much pressure, because I wear it rediculously loose, darn near as loose as a Activa, but it is a whole lot smaller and lighter than that one even in the large size.

Lastly, Patrick at Somnotech has given me the BEST support I've ever experienced in this industry. They don't give you any of this call your DME/doctor crap, they say: what's the problem and how can we help you?

I'll buy their products again without hesitation, I paid a bit more for my Soyala over say the ComfortGel, but it was well worth it at least the cushions are replaceable. Nearly all the Respironics interfaces are thow-away, use them once throw them away. It is why their cushions are no longer replacable. They can make them cheap that way.

I've been using the Soyala about 8-months now with no signs of wear. Once I got the sizing issue ironed out on the Full Face version, it also is just as good as the nasal in my opinion, but sizing of that one is critical and you can't use their guide.

The Quattro (better yet the UMFF) might edge out the FF version as far as cushion comfort goes, but when you consider how the adjustments work, ability to seal, the forehead pads don't pop-out when you try to put it on, Soyala is silent compared to noisy. In my opinion the old UMFF was much quieter than the Quattro. If noise was the only issue with the Quattro, I could wear ear plugs and use it. That new adjustment knob may have more adjustment settings than before, but for me they might as well just mounted a steering wheel there because you have to turn that thing all night long to find a place where it either isn't blowing into your eyes or leaking.

Even the Soyala is not perfect if there is such a thing, but it is a lot closer than the others in my opinion.

Do you get bed head from the back part of the head gear on the soyola? The mask looks very comfortable but i have stuck to my mirage activa because there is less gear on your head.

No bedhead from the gear. So far I think that this gear is the most comfortable and it gives just enough. I actually use it on other masks as well.