Mask vent waking partner

[NJDav]

Hi I'm a newbie to all this CPAP lark, getting on ok with it on the whole really.

Just one question, how do you guys get round the mask vent FFM, from waking your bed partner, apart from facing the other way is there anything else that can be done.

Cheers

Dav.

[Chikorita]

Hello there and welcome.
Is it a noise or the air flow that is bothering them?
Also, in the user control panel you can list the equipment you use which will help people answer your questions more accurately.
It's on the top lhs of the screen under cpaptalk.com.

[Sheriff Buford]

My wife has gotten use to it. It also helps to place a floor fan in the room. It helped to drown out the cpap machine and mask venting noise.

Sheriff

[Roobin]

I cut a strip from a spare filter that is used by my APAP machine and taped it loosely over the vent. The vent is important, so you don't want to block it completely, nor do you want to cover the filter completely in tape. But this definitely diffused the torrent of air, which was bothering both my bed partner AND me. Hope this helps.

[RandyJ]

I cut a strip from a spare filter that is used by my APAP machine and taped it loosely over the vent. The vent is important, so you don't want to block it completely, nor do you want to cover the filter completely in tape. But this definitely diffused the torrent of air, which was bothering both my bed partner AND me. Hope this helps.

I'm not sure you should block or obstruct an exhaust vent in any way, lest CO2 levels in your mask rise.

[Roobin]

I cut a strip from a spare filter that is used by my APAP machine and taped it loosely over the vent. The vent is important, so you don't want to block it completely, nor do you want to cover the filter completely in tape. But this definitely diffused the torrent of air, which was bothering both my bed partner AND me. Hope this helps.

I'm not sure you should block or obstruct an exhaust vent in any way, lest CO2 levels in your mask rise.

Hopefully others will weigh in on this as you are certainly correct about the CO2 issue. I got this idea from another post I read a while back. It suggested placing a band aid loosely over the exhaust holes but I decided to use the filter instead because it's a lot more porous than the band-aid's pad. I do tape it very loosely, so air is escaping not just through the filter, but also around the sides of it as well.

[Roobin]

I did some additional searches through previous posts and I guess the consensus is that it's not a good idea to block the exhaust holes.....even with a porous material. Like me, there are others that have done / are doing this and we're still alive to talk about it! But I'm sure there is a risk involved, depending on the material, how tightly you cover the holes, etc. Bottom line: not a good idea. I stand corrected and am retracting my original suggestion.

[chunkyfrog]

I punch the comforter until it forms a little dam between my mask and my sweetie's neck.
I have also stood a thin travel pillow on edge between my pillow and his.

[Maxie]

I use a hose clip (available from our hosts or on ebay) and direct the vent so it doesn't blow on my partner.

[retrodave15]

My dear wife and I are both on the hose. I can say is "Don't cross the streams."

Actually, we sometimes prop a pillow up between us to deflect the stream as it hits my back or hits her face. Otherwise we hardly notice.

[archangle]

I did some additional searches through previous posts and I guess the consensus is that it's not a good idea to block the exhaust holes.....even with a porous material. Like me, there are others that have done / are doing this and we're still alive to talk about it! But I'm sure there is a risk involved, depending on the material, how tightly you cover the holes, etc. Bottom line: not a good idea. I stand corrected and am retracting my original suggestion.

I'm sort of Mr. "Rebreathing Parnoia" on this board, but I wouldn't have any qualms about wrapping one layer of T-shirt material or something like that around the vent area on the mask. Of course, if you do something like cover it with tape or wrap something non-porous around it, you're on your own. If you can put it over your mouth and nose and still breathe comfortably, you're probably OK.

[Roobin]

I'm sort of Mr. "Rebreathing Parnoia" on this board, but I wouldn't have any qualms about wrapping one layer of T-shirt material or something like that around the vent area on the mask. Of course, if you do something like cover it with tape or wrap something non-porous around it, you're on your own. If you can put it over your mouth and nose and still breathe comfortably, you're probably OK.

Thanks for the vote of confidence in my system. I really did try to think it through, both by using one layer of air filter material (clearly, a material that lets air get through!) and by taping it very loosely over the vents.

[Java Time]

If the exhaust is on the part of the hose that swivels, sometimes you can point it a different direction. This was one of the reasons I have my "Aloha" hose go up in front of my face secured to the top of my headgear, rather than routing down toward my chest.

[NJDav]

If an air filter lets air in, it stands to reason it will let air out, I think some people are over reacting, I don't think covering the vent with an air filter to diffuse the air flow a little is gonna kill you.

[LSAT]

If an air filter lets air in, it stands to reason it will let air out, I think some people are over reacting, I don't think covering the vent with an air filter to diffuse the air flow a little is gonna kill you.

On a car, the air filter lets the air in...the exhaust lets it out. I wouldn't want to cover the exhaust pipe.