clogged nasal passages and claustraphobia. Which mask helps?

[ma29047]

I have a Resmed cpap w/humidifier. I use the nasal gel mask which is really comfortable. My nasal passages seem to get clogged at night. I have thought about trying the full face mask . I am very weary to do this because I have some claustraphobia. I'd love some input.

[Wulfman]

I've never understood why having the mask cover the mouth in addition to the nose makes any mask more "claustrophobic".
However, a couple of things which can lessen that feeling are lowering (or turning Off) the CPAP humidifier setting and doing nasal cleansing before bedtime.

If you want to try a full face mask, check out the one in my profile.......the ResMed UMFF.


Den

[harry33]

google 'nasal irrigation' on the net, you can use a netti pot and several other things to unclog the nostrils before bed

[brazospearl]

The Hybrid has nasal pillows like you like and also covers your mouth. It was less claustrophobic to me than any of the masks that fit around/above the nose. After years of gasping for air all night, it's natural to feel a bit on edge to think about covering your face at night, but with appropriate pressure it's easier to adjust than you might expect.

[sleepmba]

You may be able to clear your nose with some humidifier experimentation. Try increasing or decreasing and see what result you get. Everybody is different when it comes to an ideal setting. Experiment, experiment, experiment... good luck

[montana user]

Ive had two types of claustrophobics in the lab. The one type cant stand a full face mask because part of the mask is between their eyes and they cant stand this. The other feel like the mask is going to suffocate them. For the most part once the CPAP is turned on the person feels better because they feel the air and its not like a hand covering there face. For the extreme claustrophobic I use the Fit life mask. I actually have been using the fit life to give my nose a break!

[shambharwani]

I used to have the same problem but this changed when I switched over to the Resmed Nasal Pillow FX. I feel the contant pressure won't let my passages clog (and helps in declogging a blocked passage). I love this mask - the leaks are minimum and mouth breathing is uncomfortable (so you won't do it).