Dreamwear PR mask

[ChicagoGranny]

She said it would not change the pressure but it would put more pressure on one nostril.

What does this even mean? First thought, she doesn't know WTH she is talking about.

[Janknitz]

About the mask. The company that provides the cpap called yesterday and I told them my issue with one tube always being compressed when I lay on my side. The employee told me this should not happen. She said it would not change the pressure but it would put more pressure on one nostril.

Clearly the person who told you this has no clue.

If you are using the nasal cradle mask, it's not blowing into just one nostril, it is pushing air into both (unless you are congested. Sometimes I get congested on the side I am lying on). So if, for example, you are lying on the right side and more air flows through the left air tube, it's still going to go to the nasal cradle and up your nose equally in both nostrils.

If you are using nasal pillows, look closely. The air coming in from either side of the frame goes first into a common chamber and THEN into the nose through the nasal pillows. How in the world would that be able to put more pressure in one nostril??? She must think each air tube feeds only one side of the nasal pillow mask. Some people are dumb as rocks.

You can hold the mask in your hand and pinch off one side or the other to feel the airflow yourself coming from the cradle or the pillows. There should be NO difference unless you pinch off BOTH.

When they designed this mask, they KNEW people sleep on their sides and the air tube in one side of the frame or the other was ABSOLUTELY GOING TO GET COMPRESSED. If they didn't want that to happen the tubes would be rigid instead of soft. It doesn't matter. More air might flow in the other air tube, but it will equal out before it ever enters your nose. Of course you are using the mask as intended. Do you think users must lie rigidly on their backs so a side of the mask doesn't get compressed???

That said, if you don't feel like you are getting good treatment from this mask, it's OK to try a different mask that you might feel better about using. But I will bet a dozen donuts that your machine isn't set optimally OR you have nasal congestion which is interfering with your treatment, it's NOT the mask.

[altrout]

He picked a number out of his butt. Pressure needs aren't based on body weight at all.

Oh great. Well I can't say I'm surprised

Are you experiencing any nasal congestion at all at night??

Yes, I've been told my turbinates are hypertrophied. I have a nasal spray but it doesn't do much. I want to try other conservative measures and/or get allergy shots. I'm assuming I'm allergic to dust or something. I had turbinate reduction in 2016 but they quickly grew huge again.

What does this even mean? First thought, she doesn't know WTH she is talking about.

Yeah, idk. I was taking notes while I was on the phone and that's what she said. I questioned it, so I asked how that would be possible for more pressure to go to one nostril because the air comes out just one hole that is against both nostrils. She just said "well it would be worse with the nasal pillows and not as much for the nasal cushions". So yeah, what she said didn't make sense to me but I was thinking maybe I missed something so I just shared it here.

How in the world would that be able to put more pressure in one nostril???

yeah, exactly

You can hold the mask in your hand and pinch off one side or the other to feel the airflow yourself coming from the cradle or the pillows. There should be NO difference unless you pinch off BOTH.

Yeah, I did try this. When I pinch one side, the hissing does get way quieter. But I think it's still the same pressure, and the air is just filling a smaller volume. If my understanding of air pressure is right.

When they designed this mask, they KNEW people sleep on their sides and the air tube in one side of the frame or the other was ABSOLUTELY GOING TO GET COMPRESSED. If they didn't want that to happen the tubes would be rigid instead of soft. It doesn't matter. More air might flow in the other air tube, but it will equal out before it ever enters your nose. Of course you are using the mask as intended. Do you think users must lie rigidly on their backs so a side of the mask doesn't get compressed???

Yeah this was my thought process exactly!! Like I said in my first post, the mask is intended for side sleeping and it seems impossible not to compress one side. But after hearing that some people manage to use the mask without compressing one side, and then especially after talking to the DME person, I started to really doubt myself. So that's why I thought I was using the mask not as intended.

Thank you again so much to all of you for helping me!!

[ChicagoGranny]

I had turbinate reduction in 2016 but they quickly grew huge again.

Which type of reduction procedure?

Surgical Turbinate resection
Turboplasty
Coblation
Cauterization
Radiofrequency ablation
Cryoturbinectomy

[altrout]

Which type of reduction procedure?

Bilateral submucous resection of inferior turbinates, in 2016. In the same surgery they also corrected my deviated septum and removed a bunch of tissue from my sinuses. I had improved breathing after I healed, but that lasted less than 6 months. Then I was back to being congested.
A scan I had in October 2023 showed hypertrophy of the turbinates. When I got the first surgery I didn't know they could grow back but I guess they did.