SORE, SWOLEN EYES

[BLATTS]

I have been using the CPAP for 2 weeks now. Since, I have daily headaches and swollen eye lids.
Any advise???

[BlackSpinner]

I have been using the CPAP for 2 weeks now. Since, I have daily headaches and swollen eye lids.
Any advise???

Put your machine in using the "user control panel" on the upper left had side.

We can't help until we know the machine and mask(s) you use.

[zeddic]

For the swollen eyelids I used to suffer from those occasionally until I followed some suggestions on this forum and began using an eye mask. So far for about a month I haven't had any swelling. The theory is some sort of mask leakage occurs and blows air over the eyes causing dryness.

[nanwilson]

For the swollen eyelids I used to suffer from those occasionally until I followed some suggestions on this forum and began using an eye mask. So far for about a month I haven't had any swelling. The theory is some sort of mask leakage occurs and blows air over the eyes causing dryness.

For dry eyes use Genteal gel or any other similar product. My eyes were swollen and tearing up like crazy, was in to see my eye doc for new glasses and he told me to use the Genteal. Works well.

[robysue]

It's important to try to determine if the problem is being caused by air blowing into the eyes from OUTSIDE---i.e. mask leaks or exhaust flow bouncing off the covers---or if the problem is being caused by air blowing into the eyes from INSIDE---i.e. pressurized air getting into the eyes via the tear ducts which are connected to the sinuses.

OUTSIDE air is the much more common problem. In addition to sleeping with an eye mask, check out whether mask leaks are a problem. Obviously you can check for mask leaks blowing into the eyes when you're awake. But checking out the leak graph may help you determine if there's a problem with leaks that's not waking you up, but is bothering the eyes. If the problem is the exhaust flow bouncing off the covers or bed pillows and back into your eyes, then a hose management system may help. Or simply rearranging the hose and relative placement of your head and the bed pillows and bed covers. An eyemask is bound to also help deal with exhaust flow bouncing back into the eyes.

Air getting into the eyes from INSIDE your head is a much rarer problem. But it can happen. It's also harder to deal with. And this problem warrants a call to the sleep doctor's office, and maybe a call the the eye doctor's office as well. In my case, I reported the problem to the sleep doctor's office very early in my adjustment period to CPAP and the PA took that info plus some other issues that were going on at the time and ordered a week of autotitration that resulted in a lowering of my prescribed pressure, which essentially eliminated the air-in-eyes-via-tear-ducts problem without seriously affecting my treated AHI numbers. Had the reduction in pressure not fixed the problem, my next step would have been to call my ophthalmologist's office.