my mask hurts me

[Tit4Tat]

I am new to this so please excuse me if I am not that educated on the topic yet..I have tried (this is my fifth mask) many masks..every one of them hurt my face but if I dont have them on tight enough air leaks out the sides. I tried the all nylon one, just the nose covered and it leaked to the point the air coming out made my eye cold..I tried the full face mask and air leaked out but If i tighten it it leaves horrible marks and (its not that tight) I dont feel I am wearing it so tight..I adjust and adjust...Not sleeping at all for getting up adjusting these things. Now I have a nose mask with the headgear thing that sits on your forehead. It is leaving a sore under my nose...What am I doing wrong? I just want to sleep. Oh, it must of hurt cause I woke up with it on my forehead...lol..Hubby woke up and put it back on my nose..what a sweetie.

Any suggestions on the air leaking and how did you all find a mask..He is fitting me with small or petite masks..I do have small features but I AM AN ADULT..what could this be..Did anyone else have problems getting the right mask. I feel stupid every time I go back and say "this one isnt working for me either".

Help...thanks in advance..Pressure usually goes up to 11 or 12..I am on the machine that changes pressure for now cause we are trying to find where my pressure should be...

[chunkyfrog]

Different manufacturers have different models for their face sizing.
I found the only Resmed I could wear was the Swift FX.
All their other products simply do not fit.
I wear my Respironics Comfort gel full face every night; but my new Easy life is arriving today.
I saw it at the user meeting and was so impressed.
It is new this year--any reviews?

[Pad A Cheek]

Hello and welcome to the forum. There is no reason that your mask needs to be so tight that it hurts your face. Many times people tighten the mask too much to prevent leaks. Many of the masks are designed to fill the seal with air to prevent leaks. If you have it too tight then it will cause more leaks.
Try loosening your mask while lying down and with the machine turned on. Loosen it until it leaks then slowly adjust the straps until the leaks stop. This should not make your mask so tight that it hurts your face.

I wish you the very best in finding the best possible mask for you. Sometimes this takes several trials of different masks. We can tell you stories that you would not believe. Stick around and enjoy the fun of getting used to your CPAP therapy. We are one big family here.

Karen

[jromano]

Tit4Tat,

First, welcome! Take a minute to register - (it's free!) and you'll be able to send and receive Private Messages. Please select what kind of machine and mask you're using; text format is easier for most to read.

You mentioned a mask that's all nylon, a full face mask, and a nasal mask with a forehead support. You also mentioned that you've tried five masks in total now. Do you remember the manufacture and the name of the mask for each? Identifying the mask will help to nail down exactly what didn't work about each, if it's fixable, etc.

You are probably already aware that there are many different kinds of sleep apnea masks as you mentioned a couple. Nasal masks (sounds like the nylon mask, was it a Sleepweaver?, as well as the current mask with forehead support) only cover your nose. If you must breathe through your mouth at night, you should be looking at full face masks which cover both your mouth and your nose. For those who prefer a more minimalistic approach, there are nasal pillows. In addition, there are a few less common options such as an oral mask, hybrids (that combine an oral mask with nasal pillows), nasal cannulas, and even total face masks which cover from your chin to your forehead.

It is leaving a sore under my nose...What am I doing wrong?

It's not you that's doing anything wrong - it's just that the mask that you're currently using isn't fitting properly.

Any suggestions on the air leaking and how did you all find a mask..

Air leaks are a common struggle for most PAP-ers. The mask may be the wrong size, it may be fitted improperly, it may require some special adjustments and tweaking, or it may be the wrong mask for you altogether.
The truth is, most people find a great mask for them by wearing many wrong ones first.

He is fitting me with small or petite masks..I do have small features but I AM AN ADULT..what could this be..

Masks are cleared by the FDA for different age groups; you are in all likelihood being fitted with adult masks.
Who is 'he'? Is this your DME? While it's possible that you may benefit from a different size mask, is there a reason that you do not want to be wearing a size small or petite?

Did anyone else have problems getting the right mask. I feel stupid every time I go back and say "this one isnt working for me either".

Yes. Absolutely. Happens all the time.
And do NOT feel stupid - this is your health!
Most DMEs honor the manufacturers' 30-day guarantees that allow a patient to return a mask within a 30-day period without penalty. Please keep trying until you find a comfortable mask, no matter how many you have to go through. Your therapy DOES NOT need to be painful. Talk to your DME about why your therapy isn't working. Where are the pressure points? Where are the leaks? Are they waking you? How often? Is your machine data-capable such that you can look at your graphs?

Stick around, read all you can, and keep asking questions.
Never give up!

Cheers,
Jess

[Tip10]

Tit4tat,
Jess and the others have given you some really good advice.

All I want to add is that I've been on CPAP for a mere 3 months -- I'm on my 9th mask (counting variations) looking for one that I like and that fits well -- a few lasted barely one night, still others a few nights, one never made it because it just wouldn't work for me, and still others I periodically go back to -- I think I've found one that seems to work well for me and I'm using fairly regularly -- and yet, I just ordered another....

Finding the right mask is a very personal search -- we can offer up tips and hints of what has worked for us and they may or may not work for you. There are folks on here who swear by their pillows (even though I got them to fit and sealed really well I personally couldn't stand them -- may eventually give them another try though), others swear by the FFM's (I had real good luck with the FX but the comfort just isn't there for me to want to use it as an every day mask), right now I'm in a Sleepweaver and its working well for me (I also understand that it either does or doesn't work for others -- seems to be no in between on this one).

At times its a maddening search and I wish you luck with it -- but from experience I can tell you that if the mask hurts then its definitely NOT the one for you -- try a different one.

Good Luck!!

[Janknitz]

Masks should NOT hurt, and the biggest newbie mistake is tightening them when they leak. Most (not all) masks are designed with air cushions that must be fully inflated in order to work--if you mash the mask down on your face tightly, the air cushion cannot inflate and it will leak MORE, and hurt you, too.

Sounds to me that whomever is fitting you for these masks is not doing a good job of either fitting or educating you on how to adjust the masks properly. My guess is that you are being fit standing or sitting, probably not with the machine on, and definitely by someone who doesn't really know much about the fitting. This is a combination for failure.

The problem may have nothing to do with the particular masks, just with the fitter. Can you tell us exactly WHAT mask you have currently? Then we can help you with experienced users to make sure that it is correctly sized and that it is correctly fit to your face for the best chances of success. If, after all that, the mask still doesn't work for you, then we will help coach you through another, and we can probably make some educated guesses about what might work if we know why your current mask isn't working.

A properly fitting and comfortable mask is the KEY to successful CPAP use, so it's important to do everything possible to resolve this issue.

[lars4life]

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[Tit4Tat]

Thank you all for the responses..I learned a lot here already..about over tightening the mask. I put it on the least that I can. Now that said how do you all get under your names the machine info and mask info? Is it under signature and you all type it?

I guess a DM is someone fitting and working with you so in my post I am talking about him. He tries the masks sitting up, has me tilt my head back and has the machine on. Once I get home its a different story laying down. I am gonna lay on his floor next time...the hose seems to pull everything down more..which makes it uncomfortable. he says run the hose above my head but really, the next morning it isnt there. not working. I know this newby stuff is boring to yall maybe but I really do appreciate your help. I really do. I have read all comments and browsed the web site. there was a lady here who said she would go in the office and lay down...lol..thought maybe i needed to do the same...they need a bed in there..i HAVE A RESMED AUTO SET 2 FOR RIGHT NOW. AND THE MASK IS A i DONT KNOW WHERE TO FIND IT...BUT IT FITS OVER MY NOSE ONLY WITH A CHIN STRAP..IT HAS (sorry caps) the forehead things too...doesnt help much. He kept the package...ugh. sore is getting worse. I gotta go back....man this is hard but I am gonna stay here, where I am learning so much, be patient, and keep finding one that fits...thanks yall...

[cflame1]

Thank you all for the responses..I learned a lot here already..about over tightening the mask. I put it on the least that I can. Now that said how do you all get under your names the machine info and mask info? Is it under signature and you all type it?

I guess a DM is someone fitting and working with you so in my post I am talking about him. He tries the masks sitting up, has me tilt my head back and has the machine on. Once I get home its a different story laying down. I am gonna lay on his floor next time...the hose seems to pull everything down more..which makes it uncomfortable. he says run the hose above my head but really, the next morning it isnt there. not working. I know this newby stuff is boring to yall maybe but I really do appreciate your help. I really do. I have read all comments and browsed the web site. there was a lady here who said she would go in the office and lay down...lol..thought maybe i needed to do the same...they need a bed in there..i HAVE A RESMED AUTO SET 2 FOR RIGHT NOW. AND THE MASK IS A i DONT KNOW WHERE TO FIND IT...BUT IT FITS OVER MY NOSE ONLY WITH A CHIN STRAP..IT HAS (sorry caps) the forehead things too...doesnt help much. He kept the package...ugh. sore is getting worse. I gotta go back....man this is hard but I am gonna stay here, where I am learning so much, be patient, and keep finding one that fits...thanks yall...

A DME... stands for durable medical equipment... it's basically the place that you got your equipment from (unless you bought it privately from an individual).

to setup the list of your equipment... click on user control panel (top blue bar) which will open a window, then a tab on the top of that window will say profile, then edit equipment (side of the window).

[Acurest]

The three most important things to get right with CPAP are: The mask, the mask and the mask!

Your struggle and frustration is very common and it is to your credit that you are perservering through this process of trial and error. It's not easy and many allow the frustration to get in the way. See it as a challenge. This is for life, so a little time now getting it right really does set you up for a positive future.

If you continue to struggle after trying everything, then perhaps you should consider having a mask custom-made to fit you. Some faces have features which simply do not fit into off-the-rack masks. For these people the choices boil down to compromise, frustration, abandoning therapy or getting themsleves an Acurest TrueFIT mask.

Good luck with settling in!

[purple]

I do not mind the indentations that show for hours after I get up. I do mind the red one on the bridge of my nose, which hurts when I wake up. To stop that I use Mole Skin on the bridge of my nose.

A Full Face Mask (FFM) has an air channel in the cushion. This air channel is very important to keeping a good seal. It needs to stay inflated to create a back pressure that keeps the seal working. If the air channel is distorted, like one side is being tightened too much, then the mask will always leak. The mask sometimes acts like a teeter totter. If I have a leak on the upper right hand side, sometimes the mask should be tightened on the lower left. the mask should have about the same amount of pressure all the way around. When the air first gets going, I lift the mask up, let the air channel fill, sit the mask back down, usually sliding it down slightly towards my chin. Sometimes the secret is to losen the straps slightly, equally on both sides, or all four, as more pressure can make the leaks worse.

At the beginning I had a ramp set on my machine, which made the adjustment more complicated. I would get it on, no leaks, and then the leaks would develop as the ramp increased the pressure. Others say that their mask leaks are more likely when they lay on their back, which is good position to be in to test the seal, and bad to to sleep on one's back.

[napstress]

I have been calling it "mask wrangling." Here is what I have rigged up to get to the point where I don't have leaks (I think):

1. switched from nasal pillows to full-face mask.
2. wear preventative bandaid on bridge of nose.
3. cut small squares from Whippity Wipes and taped them to the corners of my mouth with masking tape to prevent drool from collecting in bottom of mask and annoying me awake.
4. read and followed Janknitz' article about mask-taming (see the link in her signature space).

But the mask is still gouging into the side of my face. Steps I have tried that have failed:

1. using buckwheat hull pillow
2. created mask liner (before I knew about pad-a-cheek) out of Whippity Wipes. This created leaks b/c mask would slide around on fabric as I mooshed my face into the pillow.

Things I am about to try:

1. Pad-a-cheek mask liner. It wraps around the mask, so will not slip on my face.
2. contour pillow from Walmart.

I list this out to show that it is a process: keep analyzing the obstacles and removing them one by one. I'm not "there," yet, but little by little, I'm getting more comfortable and seeing some preliminary successes.

Good luck!

[Daryl South Africa]

Ive been using the cpap machine for a year and a half now.
Whilst the effects of using the machine have made positive changes to my life the mask hurts my head.

The 2 silicon 'bumps' that place on your forehead hurt.
They leave horrible indents on my forehead.

How do prevent this

[Wulfman...]

Ive been using the cpap machine for a year and a half now.
Whilst the effects of using the machine have made positive changes to my life the mask hurts my head.

The 2 silicon 'bumps' that place on your forehead hurt.
They leave horrible indents on my forehead.

How do prevent this

That brief description really doesn't tell us much.......other than that you may have it too tight. If it's too tight, it can also leak, which may also be the result of a mask being the wrong size.

Instead of resurrecting a four-year-old thread, how about registering as a member of the forum and listing exactly all of the equipment you have and the machine settings?


Den

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