Read this and learn to prevent rainout in your nasal mask.

johnnyUSA · Post by **johnnyUSA** » Wed Nov 01, 2006 3:40 pm

Like you guys, I tried everything to prevent rainout and I couldn't. I'd be sleeping like a baby and all of a sudden at about 3:30am I would be drowning in rainout. It's hard to wrestle a mask off your face while you're sucking water up your nose. And God forbid that you open your mouth during this. Anyway, I still have rainout, BUT I found a way to keep it out of my nose. Interested? Get this...I rolled up a section of toilet paper and tucked it into the fold of the mask under my nose. It rides up on both side slightly adding to the absortion of the water. It doesn't interfere with the pressure and even though the inside of the mask still has droplets all over it, when it flows to the fold the TP absorbs it. The next morning I just pull the soggy TP out of the fold and put another one there. Since doing this, I still get rainout in the mask, but I trap it. I hope I described it so you can try it with your mask. I don't know how it would work with other masks. Good luck and post a yea or nea if it worked for you.

cpapjack · Post by **cpapjack** » Wed Nov 01, 2006 3:48 pm

Welcome to the board johnnyUSA. I personally don't have that problem, but if you do a search on rainout, you'll find quite a few posts about it. There are many different ideas on how to combat this problem.

It may also help if you fill out your profile and let us know what kind of equipment you are using.

Jack

rested gal · Post by **rested gal** » Wed Nov 01, 2006 6:51 pm

Interesting fix, Johnny. With the heated hose, I don't have rainout problems, but what you're doing sounds like a pretty clever quick way to deal with it if you can't stop the drops from rolling into a traditional nasal mask. As you said, "I don't know how it would work with other masks" - would be a little hard to fix a nasal pillows interface that way. Please keep sharing ideas. You sound like something dear to my heart...a lab rat!

DerekB · Post by **DerekB** » Thu Nov 02, 2006 7:50 am

Yuk... toilet paper has fibers, and, chemicals added to make it smell good. Certainly not designed to be a cpap mask sponge. I think the mask environment needs to be as sterile as it can be....after all it is the gateway to your lungs. If you're having rainout that bad, I think a better approach would be to eliminate the rainout all together. You can buy a hose cover on ebay for less than $15 or if that doesn't do it, the Aussie Heated Hose would certainly do the trick. Not sure on price, Maybe Rested Gal can chime in on that.

My opinion - get away from the TP and correct the problem.

DB

Guest · Post by **Guest** » Thu Nov 02, 2006 12:36 pm

Used to have rainout. I've been using a "Snuggle Hose" for about three months now. Since then, rainout's not a problem. And the hose feels nicer too. Recommended. Definitely try it before you shell out big bucks for a heated hose.

rustynail · Post by **rustynail** » Thu Nov 02, 2006 2:55 pm

Hey JohnnyUSA!

That is exactly what I have been doing for years! I know that there are some here that will frown upon this but it is a quick and cost effective solution and whenever I use my gel mask that is precisely what I do too. I really hate breathing in warm air so I have my humidifier turned down as low as I can. I found that for me the air felt even warmer with a hose cover (hmm... maybe I'm too sensitive).

If I were not sleeping with a mask (never again in this life!), my face would be lying directly on the pillowcase which, although changed frequently, is not sterilized (hmm... perhaps I am not sensitive enough). It also contains fibers, which were chemically treated and the detergents and the water we use is also chemically treated.

The toilet paper I use is unscented. I live in Europe and about this time last year Charman (which popped up here a few years back) was selling Winter/Christmas scented toilet paper (sorry, I just can't stop laughing). I can't possibly imagine that my tush (cute as it may be) will ever notice, let alone appreciate scented toilet paper! (hmm... now extra wide rolls might..... never mind).

I do know that a lot of people here are delighted with the results they have using hose covers, you may seriously want to consider that as a viable option for you.

Tricia: who is wondering if the ever-so-deserved occasional kick in the tush has permanently desensitized it to the joys of scented tp....

johnnyUSA · Post by **johnnyUSA** » Fri Nov 03, 2006 1:40 pm

I appreciate the comments. I have used a quilted sleeve for a while, but the Activa seems to trap the moisture mainly in the mask. The comment about the fibers in the TP has merit. I'll think of other things besides TP to use and see how it works.

tohosa · Post by **tohosa** » Fri Nov 03, 2006 11:03 pm

I crocheted a little sweater for my mask, and that solved my wet mask problem. No more blowing drops out the exhaust vent.

DerekB · Post by **DerekB** » Sat Nov 04, 2006 4:07 am

tohosa, I think you have something there.

Mass production on the sweater for the mask.

You have your first customer with johnnyUSA.

I even have a name for it.

"The Mask Jacket"

There you go!

DB

Read this and learn to prevent rainout in your nasal mask.

Read this and learn to prevent rainout in your nasal mask.

Thanks for the comments