Possible to use a nasal mask?

[tqpannie]

Hi,
I am a mouth breather even during the day. I have severe nasal allergies and sinus issues. My presure is 22/15 and I'm wondering if a nasal mask would even work for me. I'm currently using the quattro fx for women and I'm finding it vents out a great deal of air. I believe this is causing my humidifier not to warm the air at all for me so I'm getting no benefit from using it.

I'm not spending a large amount of time in large leak the average time in leaks for the last 2 days has been 4 minutes and 30 seconds. My AHI has average for the last two days is .20.

Any thoughts or suggestions?

[Sheriff Buford]

If you are a mouth breather during the day, you are most definitely a mouth breather at night. The air venting is normal. All masks vent air to remove harmful CO2. That's the "venturi-effect". If you can control the leaks and eliminate mouth breathing, I would recogmmend the nasal mask, because the mask is less intrusive. I would kill, to be able to use a nasal mask, but my nose is plugged, so there's no way. You need to eliminate mouth breathing because the cpap air entering your nose will exit through your mouth (instead of entering your body). With full face masks, hybrids and total face masks, mouth breathing is ok because the mask covers the mouth, and the air has no chance of escape. There are several chin straps that can help you keep you mouth closed while sleeping. Some folks use tape.

Sheriff

[Pugsy]

I assume that you don't have the heated hose model of your machine. That would be the series 60 machine. You can find the model number on the bottom of the machine. A 3 digit number with 60 as last 2 digits.
For the BiPap Pro the model number would be 650 or 660.

The model 650 has 2 methods of humidification available. We talked about those methods here.
viewtopic.php?f=1&t=83478&st=0&sk=t&sd= ... assic+mode

The default is for the new humidification mode which uses less heat and less water explained in the thread above.
It may not be enough added warmth for comfort. You could switch it over to Classic mode to see if that helps enough and if it doesn't you can add a stand alone heated hose like the Hybernite 2300.
I talked about mine here in this thread
viewtopic/t71442/viewtopic.php?f=1&t=71 ... te#p656179

If your machine is using water then it is working but it may not be enough to suit your needs. The air won't ever seem very warm if you were thinking that it would feel warm exiting the vent. It just doesn't get that warm. It won't feel like a sauna by any means.

If you have the 660 machine and don't have the heated hose option it can be added to the machine.
If you have a 650 machine you can't make it a 660 machine unfortunately. The only choice if Classic mode doesn't work out and hose cozy isn't enough insulation is to buy a stand alone heated hose.

Wintertime seems to be when some of us really need the added warmth. Our bedrooms tend to be much colder if we turn the house heat down. You could try a hose cozy and see if that helps but I found it not to be enough and bought the Hybernite last Nov and wished I had bought one sooner.

[tqpannie]

I switched it to Classic view today and got a new mask so well see how I do on the new mask with the change in settings. It did help to wrap a blanket around the hose.

If this doesn't work I'm going to try the product Pugsley suggested as I can't stand the drymouth and throat I wake up with.

[Julie]

It's very important to realize that you must never cover, or allow bedding to cover the CO2 vent holes. It's there for a good reason, annoying as it can be on occasion (especially to bed partners ), but rebreathing CO2 is not something you want to do... not a good idea.

[lorraineg57]

You need to eliminate mouth breathing because the cpap air entering your nose will exit through your mouth (instead of entering your body). With full face masks, hybrids and total face masks, mouth breathing is ok because the mask covers the mouth, and the air has no chance of escape.
Sheriff

This confuses me. Yeah, the air doesn't escape the mask but it's not going to your lungs either... So what good is it doing you?

[woodworkerjunkie]

the air in the mask goes into your lungs whether you breath through your mouth or nose. Same as when you breath without a mask. When you breath through your nose or mouth, the pressure of the air inside the mask, helps stint your throat open, so that you don't have the apneas.

[RandyJ]

Some nasal masks don't have flow information for pressures greater than 20 cm. I'm not sure whether that means they should not be used at higher pressures? Perhaps another member who uses a nasal mask at a pressure greater than 20 cm will comment.

[tomko44]

Some nasal masks don't have flow information for pressures greater than 20 cm. I'm not sure whether that means they should not be used at higher pressures? Perhaps another member who uses a nasal mask at a pressure greater than 20 cm will comment.

No Resmed Mask is listed at greater than 20 cm. I use a Mirage FX with BiPAP 24/21. You can extrapolate the flow rates as they appear to be on a fairly straight line. I contacted Resmed and they said there is no issue using their masks at high pressure.

[lorraineg57]

the air in the mask goes into your lungs whether you breath through your mouth or nose. Same as when you breath without a mask. When you breath through your nose or mouth, the pressure of the air inside the mask, helps stint your throat open, so that you don't have the apneas.

But I thought the pressure from the air flow was what kept everything open. I don't see how you're getting any kind of pressure if you're breathing air from a mask through your mouth. Seems to me that the pressure would be considerably less with a nasal mask than pillows, and even lower with a FF mask?

[woodworkerjunkie]

But I thought the pressure from the air flow was what kept everything open. I don't see how you're getting any kind of pressure if you're breathing air from a mask through your mouth. Seems to me that the pressure would be considerably less with a nasal mask than pillows, and even lower with a FF mask?

The pressure is what keeps everything open. Whether,you breath through your mouth or nose, the air goes down the back of your throat and into your lungs.

Example: Blow up a balloon, it takes pressure to blow up that balloon, now pinch the end closed. Keeping your lips closed around the end of the balloon, as you start to inhale, loosen your pinch on the balloon. You will feel the air rushing out of the balloon, down your throat and into your lungs! That is the pressure that was built up inside the balloon, forcing the air into your lungs. Same principle applies with the mask.

anytime you force air into a container (mask), it builds up pressure, when you inhale through your nose or mouth, the pressure is going to push the air into your lungs! Same principle of someone giving mouth to mouth resuscitation, it's forcing air into your lungs. You have felt the air rushing out of the vent holes on your mask, that is the pressure that builds up in your mask that is escaping. When you inhale through your nose or mouth, the pressure no longer forces the air out the vents, instead it forces it up your nose or through your mouth into your lungs.