My cpap mask is hurting me!!

[geckopaws]

Ok so I have a resmed nasal mask and the thing is hurting my face when I put it on at night. At first it doesn't hurt me but then after a while it starts to leave red marks around my face. I just don't want to wear the cpap at all sometimes it hurts me so much.

[Wulfman]

Well.......LOOSEN IT UP!

You didn't say WHICH mask, but many/most masks seal better when they're NOT "tight"......assuming they're the correct size.

If you have the wrong size, all bets are off.


Den

[OutaSync]

It's not always that easy, Wulfman. Sure, it could be too tight, or the wrong size. It could be that another mask will fit your face better. It could be that any mask in any size will hurt your face no matter how loose or tight you wear it. Some people are more sensitive than others. In that case it just takes a long time to get used to it.

Have you tried any masks with nasal pillows or prongs? Search cpap.com and look at the pictures of the different masks and read the user ratings. You must keep trying until you find something you can sleep with. Quitting is not an option. The benefits outweight the difficulties.

Good luck to you,

Bev

[Wulfman]

It's not always that easy, Wulfman. Sure, it could be too tight, or the wrong size. It could be that another mask will fit your face better. It could be that any mask in any size will hurt your face no matter how loose or tight you wear it. Some people are more sensitive than others. In that case it just takes a long time to get used to it.

Have you tried any masks with nasal pillows or prongs? Search cpap.com and look at the pictures of the different masks and read the user ratings. You must keep trying until you find something you can sleep with. Quitting is not an option. The benefits outweight the difficulties.

Good luck to you,

Bev

If the person would have said "Respironics" mask, I could understand.......(having attempted to use a Comfortfull 2 a few years ago).......but he/she said "ResMed", and I am not aware of many complaints about those masks as far as comfort goes.


Den

[LSAT]

When I put on my Comfort Gel mask over my papCAP, it feels a little tight. I make sure I get a good seal and then...about 5-10 minutes later when the mask is pressureized and seated, I loosen it up.

[eloise1253]

I, too, had a painful experience with the ResMed nasal mask--a painful red rash, AND daily appearance of whiteheads in the mask area!! Ugh!! I have changed to one (they used this in the hspital and I had found it quite comfortable) which has a foam insert covered by silicone. I like it so much better. The brand is Fisher & Paykel. They have a very user-friendly website. Oh, but I had to have my CPAP service rep return and fit me; I had the mask the sleep study tech sent home with me from the hospital, so he could give me several similar options.

[OutaSync]

It's not always that easy, Wulfman. Sure, it could be too tight, or the wrong size. It could be that another mask will fit your face better. It could be that any mask in any size will hurt your face no matter how loose or tight you wear it. Some people are more sensitive than others. In that case it just takes a long time to get used to it.

Have you tried any masks with nasal pillows or prongs? Search cpap.com and look at the pictures of the different masks and read the user ratings. You must keep trying until you find something you can sleep with. Quitting is not an option. The benefits outweight the difficulties.

Good luck to you,

Bev

If the person would have said "Respironics" mask, I could understand.......(having attempted to use a Comfortfull 2 a few years ago).......but he/she said "ResMed", and I am not aware of many complaints about those masks as far as comfort goes.


Den

Well, then let me be the first to tell you that the Resmed Activa and Activa LT, while being the better of all the masks that I have tried, are extremely uncomfortable to me. I've been doing this for nearly two years, and I have tried many different masks in many different sizes. I've read all of the suggestions here, and have a drawer full of various "fixes". I wear it as loose as it can go without leaking all around. It still leaks in the lower corners when I turn my head any to either side. The only way I can compensate for that is to let my cheeks fill with air. It's hard to try to keep my cheeks filled with air long enough to fall asleep. I still wake up with a red triangle on my face and a deep grove on the bottom of my nose. If I had a more padded face, it would help. How can one gain weight in the face without it all going to the stomach?

I'm first in line to try the new Respironics FullFit mask when it gets to my DME.

Bev

[Wulfman]

Ok so I have a resmed nasal mask and the thing is hurting my face when I put it on at night. At first it doesn't hurt me but then after a while it starts to leave red marks around my face. I just don't want to wear the cpap at all sometimes it hurts me so much.

OK, Bev. I'll concede that there are masks that are "uncomfortable" and make marks on our faces. But, I've bolded the phrases in the original post that were MY clue to what was wrong.
Too tight and/or wrong size are the main culprits for this scenario......along with just plain "crummy" masks (handed out by "dollar-conscious" DMEs).


Den

[drubin007]

Like so many above me in this thread, I started off on a nasal mask as well.... I used it for my second sleep study and it worked for me (not to mention it was way more comfortable then a full face mask!)
after a few days I started getting the break outs around the bridge of my nose, and it started bleeding (cutting me).
I could not find the happy medium if you will. Too tight and I was in severe pain, too lose and I had a night full of facial farts... My dme swapped the mask from hell for nasal pillows and I have been happy ever since.
Well, maybe not happy but the facial damage has healed and I have no more problems sleeping with them.

[socks349]

Just a comment re nasal pillows - I was initially discouraged, but found that a combo of not cranking down too tight and the right pillows size (experiment!) worked well for me. Also my learning is that mask adjustment is measured in months - and it's getting better - I now find myself sleeping side-side, and even (I think) snuggling down the mask if I start to hear a leak. Bottom line is that this may take a while.....

[vipertec]

When I had my sleep study done I started with an optilife (which I use now ) well it hurt me so bad in the middle of the night I made the tech switch it out (to a swift LT) that hurt too but noot as bad as the optilife ,so that's the one i ended up with ,I was never too crazy about it ,because even after I got it home it still hurt me until I figured out that it didn't need to be tight to get a good seal ,even though it didn't hurt anymore I still didn't like it too much so when it came time for a new mask I got an optilife and now I as happy as a clam. sorry for the minor "rant" but the bottom line is loosen it up or try somehting else. good luck!