new user with full face mask and stuffy nose problem

[troutman1227]

i am new to cpap (first week). i got a full face mask because i am prone to stuffy nose/nasal sinus problem. realistically, i will have clear nasal passages 25% of the time. period. i am having problems falling asleep because i am worried that i am not breathing through my nose enough or that it is somehow bad that i rely on mouth breathing, even though i got the full face mask for this reason. can i stop worrying and just use whatever works to breathe (nose 25% of the time, mouth 75% of the time) and move on to cpap happy land? any insights welcomed.

[Pugsy]

Stop worrying. As long as your leaks are well managed with the full face mask it doesn't matter which way the pressurized air enters the airway...nasal or oral. That's why there are full face masks available.

Please add your equipment to your profile so we can see what you are using. Hopefully you have a machine that offers full data with easy to obtain software so you can monitor that leak and AHI to make sure that therapy is optimal.

Welcome to the forum.
If you don't know how to add your equipment to your profile. Please use text as the icony images are tiny and we can't see model name as they all look alike. Model name is very important.
wiki/index.php/Registering_Equipment_in_User_Profile

[avi123]

Are you using nasal irrigation's like these:






See this from Dr Barry Krakow's book:

[chunkyfrog]

Before cpap, I had frequent nasal congestion--very frequent.
Once I got my humidification set correctly, my congestion has disappeared almost completely.
One can hope.

[Sheriff Buford]

I have a deviated septum on one side of my nose and the other side often gets plugged. Sometimes at night, I wonder about not being able to breath thru my nose. If I let my worries get hold of me, it interferes with my sleep. All someone has to do is put their hand over my mouth and I am in big trouble. What usually make me feel better is that I'll have to open a can of whip-ass.... and the problem is solved. Works for me. Do you have a can?

Sheriff

[troutman1227]

Re: my machine type it is: Philip's Respironics System One. Thanks for all the great input everybody. i'm finding that this site is quite helpful in getting some good info and a good mindset on this new issue in my life.

[Char1ieJ]

Re: my machine type it is: Philip's Respironics System One. Thanks for all the great input everybody. i'm finding that this site is quite helpful in getting some good info and a good mindset on this new issue in my life.

troutman1227,
I had the EXACT same concerns. I have had bad allergies and spent most of my life breathing through my mouth. In fact, I never even knew people breathe primarily through their nose until I found this forum. It was a foreign concept to me because of my own situation.

After going through 3 full-face masks, I am now using the Swift FX nasal pillows and taping my mouth shut. I'll be honest -- it's not yet totally comfortable, BUT the point it -- I can breathe. I didn't think I would be able to breathe through my nose, but I do. Humidification helps A LOT.

In summary, don't worry. Try everything and find what works. Don't let pre-conceptions, which may be misconceptions, keep you from trying different things. The most important thing to remember is -- this is about YOUR HEALTH. Whatever works -- let's you sleep, have a low AHI and restorative rest -- is what you should use.

Best wishes! This forum is very supportive, so ask questions and keep plugging away at it. OH... and add your equipment in TEXT style in your profile. That info will help people help you much better!

[chunkyfrog]

I use my élan almost exclusively,
but I have a Comfortgel FFM handy in case I "cad brede troo by dose"
Colds happen, especially when the little ones visit Grandma & Grandpa.
(Are their little noses ALWAYS drippy?) They still need those hugs and kisses!