mask leaking

[jjocelyn]

hi,

After about one week adjustment, my hubby has quickly got used to the cpap machine. He can now sleep with the mask on for the whole night. However, there is a problem here: air leaking above chin area. Does it mean that the mask doesn't fit? Although the Mirage Quattro full face mask has double cushion on the face area, it has only one layer above chin area where air leaking always occurs, at least for my hubby. At first, i thought it's the problem of his beard, but the problem persists after he shaved.

Well, he can wear the mask excellently. However, when he is in deep sleep,the leakage suddenly occured and woke me up (but not him). I have to adjust it for him otherwise the preasure will increase to keep him breathing.

Does anyone here have the same problem? Any suggestions?

ps. my hubby always breath with mouth open, so he has to use full face mask.

Thanks in advance.

[jjocelyn]

by the way, can you give me some resommendations of leak-free, comfortable full face mask?

At first i thought the Mirage Quattro is the best though.

[rested gal]

If the leaks that occur later in the night are very small ones, they probably are not interfering with your husband getting effective treatment. Since the longest REM cycle occurs during the couple of hours (I don't mean the cycle lasts several hours) before wakeup time in the morning, and since most apneas/hypopneas are likely to occur in REM, it may be that the pressure increase you notice is the machine raising pressure in response to the flow limitations that often happen before the airway would be able to collapse into an apnea. The machine may simply be trying to prevent apneas with the pressure increases at the times you notice it. Trying successfully, usually.

If the leaks are large, though, you are right to be concerned enough to try to fix the mask for him.

Do you know how to see the reported overnight leak rate shown in the machine's LCD window? Has to be looked for before noon the next day.

Looking at that would give you an idea whether the amount of leaks he's having are a cause for concern or are relatively harmless to his therapy.

Your husband is fortunate to have you being so supportive and willing to help him with "cpap", jjocelyn!

[jjocelyn]

thank you rested gal. Do you mean that i can see the report thru the machine itself the next morning?
We are still waiting for the smart card reader that my friend will bring it to me from US to Singapore, so I haven't got to see the data yet. But the card reader should be brought back next week.

[jjocelyn]

bump it up and would like to see more replies.