Choosing a nasal mask

[chris-p]

Hello everyone!

I rescheduled my appointment with my DME for next week and this will be my first time using a CPAP. My prescription is for a nasal mask and I am presently in the process of checking out all the different ones on the net to check my options. Now I fully realize that this is subjective and that everyone has a personal mask that they feel more comfortable with. I will also of course try them and see which is best for me, but this will be done in a short period of time and not for a full night. So I was wondering if there are different quality masks and which ones should I most look out for? Is there a preferred nasal mask that most people find more comfortable for example? Are there ones that are less likely to leak? Is the regular one a good one to start with? Or the pillows or prongs? Any other questions I should be asking? As I mentioned, I have practically zero experience wearing a mask.

I guess I just want to get the most info before my appointment. Plus I'm curious.

Thanks!

Chris

[LSAT]

If there was one mask that didn't leak...everyone would be using it. Take advantage of your DME and try several. They should also give you a 30 day return option if a particular mask doesn't work for you.

[brucifer]

I LOVE my OPUS 360 Nasal Pillows mask. It's lightweight, unobtrusive, and my leaks are close to nil. I'm a side sleeper and change sides several times throughout the night. This mask works very well for me.

I hope you find a mask that suits you. For some folks it can be an arduous process. Best of luck!

[MidnightOwl]

What's comfortable for you is really going to be individual. You'll have to try them to find out. You don't really need to spend a whole night with a mask. You do need to try it on with some pressure.

Ask about their return policy if the mask doesn't work. It could be one return , it could be many, it could be none. If it's none you may want to see if you can shop somewhere else.

Did you have a titration study? If so, did that mask work well for you?

I spend most of my time using the first mask I tried at the sleep study the fisher paykel hc407. https://www.cpap.com/productpage/fisher ... -mask.html It works for me and has the added advantage of being inexpensive which matters a lot to me. Would it fit you? Who knows.

One thing you can think about in advance is whether you need to wear glasses once your mask is on for reading or tv. That would rule out my mask and many others.

[Xney]

If possible, try on masks there laying down with your pressure setting.

As others have said, it's so individual that you just need to try a lot, possibly.

[JO'M]

You can look through the masks on cpap.com. You can narrow your search based on criteria that are important to you. That would give you some masks to start
with.

[chris-p]

Thanks all for the helpful replies!

Good idea trying them lying down thanks. And Nightowl, the mask I used at the study was a regular nasal mask (do not know which though). It worked fine for the test (ie no leaks that I know of etc) but left a mark on my face however.

So yes you are all right in saying I must try a lot of them before starting, and I found out I have 3 months to decide my preference so that is plenty of time! Will keepyou updated.

Thanks again

Chris

[sleeplessinaz]

I went thru about 6 or 7 masks before finding one i liked!! LOL! it is like trying to find the holy grail. I love my SWIFT LT For HER Version. They are the nasal pillows system. I'm a side sleeper and change sides several times throughout the night. This mask works very well for me. I recently am getting antsy again so I ordered the Aloha mask. It looks similar to the SWIFT LT but we all search for the perfect mask. Like the previous poster said-if there was a mask that did not leak, we'd all be using it!

Good luck in your quest---let us know what you pick,
Carrie