nasal pillow condensation

Hi,

Firstly, thank you to all the past contributors of this forum, there is such a wonderful wealth of information, I have been dipping in and out since March this year, when I started using a CPAP machine.

I am using a Resmed S9 plus the humidifier with a swift nasal mask (was diagnosed with OSA early in the year). I am living in Tasmania, so we get cool winters and my house is not very well insulated! I am running a heater all night but am having trouble with condensation in the nose pillows of the mask - not the hose. I have tried all sorts of settings on the humidifier without much result. I tried using the machine without the humidifier and again, no help. By accident the other night I forgot to put water in the condenser and ran the machine in humidifier mode at about 27deg. I had less problem that night with condensation (though still a couple of times I had to dry the mask out.)

My question is, will it harm the humidifier running it without water? I am imagining that the hose/air is still being heated, just without the moisture content, whereas when I run the machine without the humidifier, then it is just cold air. I had noticed in the first month or so of using I had irritated nasal passages and a little blood in the mornings, particularly when I turned the temperature down to try to stop the moisture in the mask. But I don't seem to have that problem now.

I trialled all sorts of other masks but they just don't fit, so changing masks doesn't seem to be an option. I have the hose wrapped and tucked under the pillow/blankets apart from the short piece leading to the mask. If there are any other tips you could give me to stop the moisture build up I would be grateful.

The other question, is being able to download the data. In Australia we are not supposed to adjust the machine ourselves and are not given the sequences to get into the setup or anything. However with a bit of peeking I figured out how to manage that - I want to experiment between fixed pressure and auto pressure without having to waste time going to my local supplier everytime I want to make a simple change. But I would also like to be able to upload the data off the memory card myself - I imagine there is software to be able to do that, but there appears to only be clinician management software on the Resmed Australian site. Does anyone know how I can upload my own data?

Thanks!
Annie D

Go here and ask for it.

viewtopic/t52732/ResScan-310-gt-311.html

Thanks for the software link PM Uncle Bob.

Just in case anyone wanted to know what I found out about using the S9 without water, I have been in touch with Resmed and they say it will not cause a problem. They also suggested a different mask - the mirage, but I have already tried that and to have it seal I had to have it so tight my eyeballs were squished! I seem to need a very small mask or there is too much pressure on my eyes. The nasal pillow mask is pretty comfortable, and now I know I can use the humidifier without water, I have far less condensation. Air is a bit dry tho. Bit of a juggling act!

sweet dreams!

In case you ultimately find that you need the humidifier....and you again experience condensation in the nosepiece, you might consider putting some cotton butcher's string inside the mask......to act as a wick.

I use a double strand inside my Aeiomed Headrest....to absorb any big drop....before it can find its way up my nose. The string has been inside my mask for way over a year....and I have no more "rainout" condensation problems (caused by exhaled breath) inside my nosepiece.

Fantastic! I wondered about putting some sort of wick poking out from the mask, but I thought that would break the seal, or if the wick would then drip on my chin! So you just leave your string inside the mask, not poking out? How do you stop the string getting sniffed up - do you attach it in any way?

I'll give it a try tonight!

Send me a personal message......and I'll send you a series of pictures showing how I did it. Your mask is different, but the principles are the same. Once you see exactly what I'm doing, you'll know what will work for your situation.

The cotton string is thick.....can't be inhaled.....and stays completely inside the mask. Nosepiece exhaled breath condensation is a problem....when a bunch of small droplets combine....to form that one "big SOB" that drains into my nose....when I roll over on my back. The string wick is there to "slurp" up only one or two big drops. It then dries out during the day.

Simplicity .........