Itchy Nose

[houltkin]

I have a daily nose itch, and it intensifies in the middle of the night while wearing Respironics Comfort Gel.

The itch is only at the base of my nose, not on the sides. The area burns during the day.

The seal is good, no leaks.

Switching to an Opus 360 with nasal pillows didn't solve the itch.

I cleaned my mask and hose as soon as I got it with vinegar and water and I clean my mask and face with ivory soap and rise thoroughly every day. I have been using ivory soap on my skin for ages, never had a problem. I clean the mask and hose weekly with vinegar and water.

I tried rubbing my face with terry cloth, and I tried itching creams like Sarna with limited success.

My equipment is new and this problem has been with me since day one of use (2 weeks now).

I have been seeing an allergist for 2 years (on injections) for other allergies. I don't have a latex allergy.

Can't decide if I should continue to bug my DME, see the neurologist who ordered the equipment, see my general physicial, or see my allergist.
Any thoughts out there?

[jimbassett]

I often have the nose itch problem so I keep a cardboard nail file on the night stand. I can slip it under the seal and use the rough side to scratch around my nose. This works without loseing too much air pressure. jim

[houltkin]

Thanks for the nail file suggestion. I guess that would scratch the itch, but I was hoping for avoidance of the itch.

[bap40]

I have had that problem with the comfort-gel also.. I put hydrocortisone cream on during the day and did switch out masks for a few nights. Since I went back to using my CG, I haven't had anymore problems. At least not yet anyway! It was very annoying to say the least.

[xyz]

> I clean my mask and face with ivory soap and rise thoroughly every day.

I found that I was allergic to the soap that I was using. I switched to a Free & Clear type. That fixed most of the problem. For the occasional problem I use Sarna Sensitive (not the Regular). It works.

[houltkin]

No, I'm not allergic to the soap. I have been using it for many years.


When I got the Opus 360, I thought for sure switching masks would work. However, it's something about the material that is resting on the skin between my lip and base of the nose.

I do welcome all suggestions.

[houltkin]

Has anybody tried a full face mask to avoid the itchy nose, or would it still itch at night?

[sleepycarol]

You can become allergic to anything at any time. Check with your allergist about this next time you go in for an injection.

It could be your soap, but most likely a reaction from the vinegar wash of the mask. Use some mild soap and rinse and then rinse some more to make sure you have all the soap residue off. Try this to see if it helps.

[houltkin]

Thanks for the suggestion. I know allergies can be hard to find, but hadn't thought about the vinegar. I picked up some clean & clear for sensitive skin. Also some baby shampoo which was suggested by the DME tech. I've got to figure this out.

[deglorious]

I have a full face mask and my nose itches while I am asleep! It's very annoying because I reach up to scratch and hit a mask. I like the nail file suggestion except doesn't it scratch up the seal?

Deglorious

[houltkin]

Last night I washed my "plastics" with baby shampoo and rinsed thoroughly. Then I washed my face with ivory soap and rinsed thoroughly. Then I put some clean & clear astringent for sensitive skin on my face per instructions. It felt nice. Then I attached a piece of moleskin to the F & P opus 360 "pillow" that rests on my upper lip. So the only part of the potentially offensive plastic that was touching my face was the actual nasal inserts. I had no itching on my upper lip all night, so the moleskin worked good for that, and it didn't affect the seal of the nose pillows. Unfortunately, my nostrils are very sore and red this morning.

I am going to call the allergist about having that substance tested. It will be a few days before I can see him, but it will be interesting to see if that is what's going on.

[sagesteve]

I found that I had hairs up in my nose that were causing the itch(s)...some even at the nose entrance. I took my Surefire flashlight (80lum/REALLY bright) and looked up there with a 7X magnifying mirror.AMAZING to say the least. I took some VERY sharp/small hair cutting scissors and trimmed. It really helped. I had had an itch in this one area on the right side and sure enough...it was a baby fine invisible hair growing from the side of my nose and touching the other side. The problem with hairs is that you can shove your finger up there, move it around, and then it will come back! Try a good "inside job" trim...be SUPER careful not to cut the skin!!!!!!!! Also, a good shot of Vick's vapo rub works wonders. IF you cut yourself? Use Bacitracin.

[bap40]

Sore nostrils are one of the things that does and can happen when starting out with the nasal pillows. If you continue to use them, the soreness does go away. Also alot of us use a product called ayr-gel. I think I spelled it right. Anyway this is a gel form of saline. I stick some up my nose before inserting the pillows and also coat the pillows themselves, only the very tip, and that seems to help also.

[houltkin]

Wow, very interesting information here. Yes, I'm sure there are some hairs up there responding to the extra pressure and turbulence.

Where do you get that ayr-gel stuff? I want some. Saline is one of the best things you can use on the body.

[sleepycarol]

Wal-Mart, Walgreens, K-Mart, some of our local drugstores carry it.

Good luck.