Nose Itch Effecting BiLevel Therapy...any remedies??

Joe A · Post by **Joe A** » Fri Aug 12, 2005 6:46 am

Guys:

I wake up several times a night because my nose itches so bad I have to pull the mask off, scratch my nose then put trhe mask back on.

What is the root cause? and How can I remedy it? I use a Puritan Bennet GK425. Theat machine comes with the Cheesey sponge type filter that would only filter out large particulate. Could it be that If I upgraded to the Pollen type filters that the itch would go away? It feels like dust or hair on my nose and the itch is bad enough to wake me up.

merlin · Post by **merlin** » Fri Aug 12, 2005 7:08 am

Joe -

Do you have a heated humidifier? If not, it may be that your CPAP is drying out the skin on your nose (as well as your nasal passages, etc.) and causing the itch. You can find them on the internet for much less than you can buy one from your local DME. I know that mine was worth every penny that I paid!

Joe A · Post by **Joe A** » Fri Aug 12, 2005 10:08 am

Merlin: Yes I do...and it's even worse when I turn it on!

christinequilts · Post by **christinequilts** » Fri Aug 12, 2005 10:23 am

I had that problem a lot with nasal masks- I attributed it to the combination of air blowing over my nose (some nasal masks were much worse then other depending on air flow within the mask) and the 'can't touch therefore it must itch' phenomenon (every time I put nail polish on my nails my head will itch...it gets very annoying and it goes away as soon as my nails are dry of course). For me switching to nasal pillow masks works much better- no more itchy nose at all though it wouldn't matter since I could scratch most of my nose while wearing Swift/Breeze/Comfortlite/Snapp/ComfortCurve/etc.

wading thru the muck! · Post by **wading thru the muck!** » Fri Aug 12, 2005 10:46 am

Try using a nasal pillow interface and then you will be able to itch anytime you want!

Joe A · Post by **Joe A** » Fri Aug 12, 2005 11:10 am

Forgot to mention I use a FFmask because I am a mouth breather. Nasal interfaces would require a chin strap which I havd no luck with whatsoever!

wading thru the muck! · Post by **wading thru the muck!** » Fri Aug 12, 2005 11:53 am

Joe A,

Try at all cost to teach yourself to keep your mouth closed (when you sleep). Many of us have done so with pretty good success. It will make your cpap life much easier to tolerate if you can avoid a FF mask.

rested gal · Post by **rested gal** » Fri Aug 12, 2005 12:52 pm

Some people breathe through the mouth because they absolutely have to. They have no choice IF there are anatomical obstructions inside the nose that preclude getting any air through the snout, or getting just a thread of air through.

Doesn't sound like that's the case for Joe A, though, since he mentioned unsuccessfully trying chin straps with a nasal mask. As Wader said, pursuing other means to make yourself breathe through the nose, if you can, are worth it to be able to use any mask you wish.

For people who have anatomical nasal or chronic sinus problem issues, "at all costs" might mean expensive surgery to open up the nasal passages more. snork1 reported getting a much easier-to-breathe-through nose after extensive sinus and turbinate procedures.

Joe A, hang in there. When an Activa FF mask eventually comes out, you'll be able to pull that lightly strapped on mask forward, reach in and scratch to your heart's content, then let the unique suction-like quality of that mask settle it back into place.

That doesn't remedy the problem of an itch waking you up in the first place, though. Sleep disruptions are the pits, aren't they?!! Something about the air flow inside the mask is probably tickling your nose. Maybe try coating the outside of your nose with a light film of Ayr gel or KY jelly? I don't know how long the coating would last before it all evaporated, but might ward off the itch for awhile.

Joe A · Post by **Joe A** » Fri Aug 12, 2005 1:22 pm

I'mm gonna try rinsing the mask before use and see. Maybeb there ar particulates in the mask flying around.

OldSeaRock · Post by **OldSeaRock** » Fri Aug 12, 2005 8:25 pm

I get the "itchies" too.
For me, it's just one of those things I have to deal with - like my wife's gas .

snork1 · Post by **snork1** » Fri Aug 12, 2005 9:48 pm

I really like my Activa mask, but my itchy nose just drives me crazy. Of course with the Activa you can run it loose enough to sometimes be able to reach under and scratch...sometimes.

Which is why I rotate with the Swift, which actually doesn't give me quite as good results as the Activa, but it sure is nice scratching my nose whenever!

I figure I can take JUST ABOUT any inconvenience for one night, which is why I rotate masks almost nightly.

I get little hairs on my nose sometimes (growing old, just ain't fun!) and those make tickling worse, until removal.

wading thru the muck! · Post by **wading thru the muck!** » Fri Aug 12, 2005 9:49 pm

snork1 wrote:
I get little hairs on my nose sometimes (growing old, just ain't fun!) and those make tickling worse, until removal.

What about that big hair on the top of your head? <wink>

snork1 · Post by **snork1** » Fri Aug 12, 2005 10:35 pm

wading thru the muck! wrote:
snork1 wrote:
I get little hairs on my nose sometimes (growing old, just ain't fun!) and those make tickling worse, until removal.
What about that big hair on the top of your head? <wink>

Oh, i didn't mention the surgically implanted CPAP tube? I decided to bypass the whole mask issue. Anyway, I figured there wasn't much else on top anyway anymore...

wading thru the muck! · Post by **wading thru the muck!** » Sat Aug 13, 2005 9:39 am

snork1 wrote:Oh, i didn't mention the surgically implanted CPAP tube? I decided to bypass the whole mask issue. Anyway, I figured there wasn't much else on top anyway anymore...

Is it a heated tube???

snork1 · Post by **snork1** » Sat Aug 13, 2005 9:58 pm

wading thru the muck! wrote:
snork1 wrote:Oh, i didn't mention the surgically implanted CPAP tube? I decided to bypass the whole mask issue. Anyway, I figured there wasn't much else on top anyway anymore...
Is it a heated tube???