Can a mask make a difference in pressure requirements?

[PAJerry]

Hi, all. This morning was just the second night on CPAP. 1st night was with Quattro ff mask; last night with Mirage Liberty (Hybrid).

1st night: AHI + 3.91; Hypo= 2.05' OA=0.63; CA=1.26;RERA=1.10; PB/CSR-0.8%

2nd night: AHI=15.66; Hypo=5.31; OA=1.46; CA=8.89; RERA=0.53; PB/CSR=1.19%

I wish I knew how to post a screen shot of yesterday's pm nap....It looked like a classic cheyne-stokes respiratory pattern for the full nap.
During the night periods of regular waves and then a few big waves followed by a CA or Hyponapia event.

Is this normal for being on CPAP? Could the use of the Hybrid mask cause the same pressure to induce CA's? Both nights had a few minor leaks on the graphs, but they did not "line up" with the events.

Any thoughts? Thanks.

[chunkyfrog]

I notice a trend for lower pressures with my nasal pillows than with my full face mask;
but that may be fit and comfort more than anything else.
Both your masks use the 'full face' setting--Liberty has pillows; but is full face.
Many other things affect pressure as well as event score.
Trends matter more than data from a single night or two.
It sounds as though are doing well for a beginner.
Others more knowledgeable will follow.

[GumbyCT]

Theoretically the mask doesn't make a difference in pressure requirements tho leaks or sleep position will. And foods, drinks, time of last consumption, meds, etc. can increase or decrease events.

You are keeping a sleep diary, right?

[DaveLP]

I wish I knew how to post a screen shot of yesterday's pm nap....It looked like a classic cheyne-stokes respiratory pattern for the full nap.
During the night periods of regular waves and then a few big waves followed by a CA or Hyponapia event.

I'm sure there are easier ways, but I save my graphs from the Intellipap Smartlink software into a PDF using the icons on the graph screen (export). Then, I open the PDF and highlight the graphs I want to post and copy and paste them one at a time into a Windows Paint file. I have to upload the resultant JPG to Photobucket.com and use the IMG code selection to get a link to the picture. I paste the link into the post on this forum.

Smartlink can save the file as JPG, PNG, BMP, and many other formats, but you get a huge graphic that contains all the graphs and data on the screen. It's too much data and I'd rather post certain pertinent graphs.

[Pugsy]

I wish I knew how to post a screen shot of yesterday's pm nap

I use simple screen shots. Here is how I do it.

Open the image to full size so it is easily read.
I use Vista snipping tool to create a screen shot and crop the image at the same time.
Prt/scr key will also take a screen shot if using XP. If laptop is used sometimes the Fn key has to be pushed at the same time as the prt/scr key
I think windows 7 Home Premium has the snipping tool, Basic may not.
Once the screen shot is created save it in jpg format.
Upload the image to a host site. I use Photobucket it is free, there are others.
Once the image is uploaded then copy the ENTIRE IMG address. Be sure to include the opening and closing IMG in brackets. Paste that copied address into a post here.
Use the preview button. If you can't see the image try again because if you can't see it we can't.

Here is a screen shot of the address box at photobucket. I copy the last line in the address choices. Click on it to copy, come to post here and right click then paste. The IMG brackets are included so you don't have to use the url link or Img box on the forum editor.

[PAJerry]

Okay, Here's the nap chart...I hope.



I'm not sure what a sleep diary is. I'm usually too tired to write things down at bedtime.
Thanks.

[Pugsy]

Please use full size image. I can't make your image larger. Way too tiny to see any detail.

[PAJerry]

I'm trying. I took a snapshot of the screen. [cntrl][prtscr]. Pasted that into Paint. Saved as a jpeg. Uploaded to photobucket.com and that's what I got. Suggestions on how to make it bigger? Thanks.

[Pugsy]

Need to have it larger in Paint. I forget how. Been too long since I used Paint. You have XP computer?
Some how it got cropped and then saved on a blank Paint screen again making it smaller.
I just now tried it..Windows 7 with Paint. It does make it tiny. It can be resized but then you will lose detail with increased pixels.

There are some free screen shot programs. I am short on time at the moment. So no time to look right now.
If using XP then we can find a simple free program. If you have Vista or Win 7, use the Snipping Tool and bypass Paint.

If you haven't got it sorted out by the time I get back, I will find something for you or figure out how to fix it. Give me a couple of hours and I will be back.

Use the preview button. If you can't read it, we can't either.

[howkim]

I wish I could remember where I saw it, but recently (within about the last month) I ran across a medial study that compared nasal and FF masks. As I recall, the different masks didn't make any difference in the pressure required, but there were differences in the leak rates - the FFMs have a larger perimeter than do the nasal ones, so there is a higher probability of leaks just for that reason alone.

[PAJerry]

snippet did it. Thanks.

[PAJerry]

In my anxiety to get a seeable chart I don't know if I even posted the "best" wave section of the SDB pattern.

[Mary Z]

My understanding is the mask doesn't make any difference in pressure requirements. This is somewhat counterintuitive to me- it seems to be that a larger mask would require a higher pressure. I don't know what the feature on the ResMed machines where you select your mask does. I use a Total Face Mask which is not an option, but doesn't make any difference in my numbers.
I think you need more than two nights data to make any assumptions. Pick a mask and stick with it for a while.
Good luck, keep us posted.

[archangle]

A full face mask pushes back on your jaw. It's widely accepted that having the jaw moved back can increase the severity of apnea in some people.

A fair number of experts say that a full face mask may require more pressure in some people.


In terms of the physics of breathing, your throat will see the same physical effects at 10 cmH20 pressure no matter the size of the thing on your face. It's not the size of your mask that matters, it's the pressure of the air at your nostrils that matters.

A bigger mask will put more force on your face and the straps, but the pressure will be the same.

If you have a large mask, it may leak more and there will be a little pressure drop in the hose, but this shouldn't be too much. Leaks may effect the machine's scoring of your apnea numbers, too.

[Pugsy]

Well that sure looks impressive. All those CAs. This was nap? I have zero experience with full face mask except for a disastrous experiment with the Hybrid. One night doesn't make a trend. So more nights with each mask needs to be documented.