pillow vs. mask

vmitchell · Post by **vmitchell** » Mon Jul 09, 2007 11:38 am

What would be the reasons (other than claustrophobia) for choosing a pillow over a nasal or full face mask? I have Comfort Gel and my leak rate varies from .22L/s to 48. Last night my AHI was 13 (AI4, HI9). Have been on the Red Med Machine for almost 2 months and feel NO different. I am becoming overwelmed by all of the info!

Bogof · Post by **Bogof** » Mon Jul 09, 2007 11:48 am

Comfort could be another reason. They tend to be lighter since they have less material overall. They also have contact with skin, which reduces the chance of irritation etc.

hotrod53 · Post by **hotrod53** » Mon Jul 09, 2007 6:23 pm

I had the nasal pillows first.....I hated them! I called my provider and told them that I refused to use them, they gave me a comfort gel mask instead. I even had irritated nostrils with those things. Personally I like the gel mask 100% more! The pillows kept leaking and getting knocked off when I tossed and turned. The mask is way more fitting and stays on with my rolling around. You will have to get used to when laying your head sideways on your pillow but well worth the switch! The nasal pillows were easier to clean but that was their only plus.

darthlucy · Post by **darthlucy** » Mon Jul 09, 2007 7:18 pm

I went into my initial fitting really wanting a nasal pillows mask. After trying quite a few different ones (maybe 7 or so), I realized that they just weren't for me. I have a slightly deviated septum, which apparently made it difficult to get a proper seal. Once the RT was able to get a proper seal, I felt that it was very tenuous, and that I would lose it if I moved. I knew I'd never get a moment's sleep if I was afraid to move! The other problem I noticed was the tightness needed to get a proper seal. Felt like I had a real piggy nose, and knew that would be irritating in a short time. I settled on the Mirage Activa, and short of getting a full face mask, I think I've made the best decision for me for now.

DreamStalker · Post by **DreamStalker** » Mon Jul 09, 2007 7:29 pm

Everyone is different when it comes to mask preference. The main things to consider when selecting a mask is whether you can maintain a pressure seal and that it is comfortable for you to sleep in (comfort being a relative measure).

Many fail due to leaking treatment ... either from a poor mask seal or by leaking the air out of their mouth when not using a full face mask.

You see, when using a FF mask, it is OK for air to move in or out of your mouth because the circuit remains sealed and pressure is mantained. However, nasal (cushion or pillow) masks require that you not leak the air out of your mouth or else you cannot maintain the pressure to keep your throat open.

snoregirl · Post by **snoregirl** » Mon Jul 09, 2007 7:39 pm

I tried pillows during my sleep study for 5 minutes and freaked due to air rushing out my mouth. I did the study with a ff mask.

Once I got home and worked on it, I found that the pillows for me were much better. Less leaks aound the face (I was getting squeeling and flapping all the time with the ff mask, red marks on my face, and I have psychomatic itching. Just got to stick my finger in there and scratch my nose.....

The pillows, once I got used to them, were lighter, not in my line of vision, less leaky, and yes claustriphobia does play a part in it for me.

Also easier to clean (I only clean the cushion or pillow where it touches my face, never the tubing etc) but the swift pillow pops off and I can run it under the faucet with soap in a couple of minutes.

Another benefit I find is somehow that air directly up my nose seems to make me less congested than the cushion of the ff mask pushing on the side of my nose (and yes I tried multiple sizes of ff mask).

Everyone is different, but for me, I always believed I was a mouth breather, but with the pressure (10 - 13) breathing soley through my nose is not an issue. I do have to use tape and an ace bandage or the old mouth flops open, but for me that is a small price to pay.

sgrol · Post by **sgrol** » Mon Jul 09, 2007 8:07 pm

tried a nasal mask at first but it leaked and, worse, tickled my nose to the point of misery. Switched to nasal pillows and never looked back.

RosemaryB · Post by **RosemaryB** » Mon Jul 09, 2007 8:38 pm

The nasal mask put pressure on my sinuses which was very painful. I tried 3 different ones during titration and only one didn't cause immediate pain, just discomfort, but I had a sinus headache the next day, something I rarely get. The pillows are heaven compared to that.

Once I get the Bravo worked out, my next experiment will be the Hybrid, because I need something in case I get congested.

Mask