What are symptoms of a blocked exhaust port?

[Joshua16463]

Good afternoon,

I am just in need of some advice. I have an RESMED S9 AUTOSET with the full face mask, I think it is called the quarttro. The vecro is starting to go on the left side so I've ordered another strap. A couple of days out of the past week I've woken up feeling very spaced out like a zombie, I also feel dizzy when turning my head and look pale. It is quite frightening and I've missed two days of work from it. It takes me till the afternoon to feel 'right' again when it happens. One thing I've noticed is heavy mask impressions on the left side of my face and I believe I've woken up sleeping on my side when this happens, my face almost buried in the pillow. My pillow is pressed up and against the bedhead.

I've been checked out by my GP and he couldn't find anything wrong with me. I am wondering if I am blocking the exhaust port on my mask?

What are the symptoms of mask exhaust port block
and does anyone have any tips on how to prevent turning right over in one's sleep? Thanks for any advice on this scary situation.

[Goofproof]

Burnt exhaust valves on you gas engine. Jim

[Julie]

Your symptoms are compatible with blocking the vent, so Google Pappillow.com and see what you think of those... You could make (or ask someone to do it) something similar for yourself.

[LSAT]

Good afternoon,

I am just in need of some advice. I have an RESMED S9 AUTOSET with the full face mask, I think it is called the quarttro. The vecro is starting to go on the left side so I've ordered another strap. A couple of days out of the past week I've woken up feeling very spaced out like a zombie, I also feel dizzy when turning my head and look pale. It is quite frightening and I've missed two days of work from it. It takes me till the afternoon to feel 'right' again when it happens. One thing I've noticed is heavy mask impressions on the left side of my face and I believe I've woken up sleeping on my side when this happens, my face almost buried in the pillow. My pillow is pressed up and against the bedhead.

I've been checked out by my GP and he couldn't find anything wrong with me. I am wondering if I am blocking the exhaust port on my mask?

What are the symptoms of mask exhaust port block
and does anyone have any tips on how to prevent turning right over in one's sleep? Thanks for any advice on this scary situation.

,

I think completely blocking the exhaust port on the Quattro would be difficult. Unless you bury your face in a very soft pillow or cover your head with a blanket for a considerable length of time. Turning over should not block the port. I have used the Quattro for 8 years. I sleep primarily on my side but several times during the night I flip onto my stomach. The only thing I can suggest is for you to get a firm pillow..

[Joshua16463]

Goofproof, your post gave me a laugh when I needed one, cheers.

Julie, thankyou so much for the reply and advice, it takes the fear out of it. I couldn't find pappillow but I found something similar and will order it today.

LSAT, thank you for your thoughts, Do you have a firm pillow? My pillow is very soft, I put the mask on then and tried to simulate a blocked port with my bed configuration, I blocked it easily either partially or fully because the soft pillow sort of pushes up into the Port. Having it jammed up against the bed head doesn't help. I'm going to order the special pillow that Julie suggested but in the meantime I'll go and buy a super hard pillow.

Has anyone else ever accidentally blocked their port?

[Sir NoddinOff]

I agree with most of the replies... it'd be hard to block the exhale ports to the point of problems, especially for that mask. That said, adjust your pillow, sleep position and other factors to minimize blocking the ports. Here's something I do every night to keep my mask off the pillows etc:

viewtopic/t113945/viewtopic.php?f=1&t=1 ... p#p1098958

And some more detail and techniques:

viewtopic/t113945/viewtopic.php?f=1&t=9 ... ep#p876064

There's some propaganda about back sleeping that I tossed in, you can ignore that because I realize that's not an option for a lot of folks here at CPAPtalk.

[D.H.]

Try to find the exhaust port and see if air is coming out. If it is, I don't think that the exhaust port is blocked to the point that it would account for those symptoms.

[palerider]

Try to find the exhaust port and see if air is coming out. If it is, I don't think that the exhaust port is blocked to the point that it would account for those symptoms.

oh, do shut up.

[palerider]

What are the symptoms of mask exhaust port block
and does anyone have any tips on how to prevent turning right over in one's sleep? Thanks for any advice on this scary situation.

having used the mirage quattro for several years, I'm in the same camp as the others saying that I doubt that you could effectively block the port with a pillow... try it though, get in what you think might be the blocking position, and see if the air starts feeling hot and stale.

the ridges on the upper half of the port keep anything from pressing firmly against the grid, and unless you've got a rubber pillowcase, most bedding isn't airtight anyway.

I'd check into the data reports from the machine, if I were you.

[Joshua16463]

Hmm,

Thanks for the advice everyone. I'll still get the CPAP pillow and the strap replaced just in case. When I did test it, the exhaust port was definitely getting blocked by the pillow. Sure it won't stop all the air but it was stopping some.

[Goofproof]

Goofproof, your post gave me a laugh when I needed one, cheers.

Julie, thankyou so much for the reply and advice, it takes the fear out of it. I couldn't find pappillow but I found something similar and will order it today.

LSAT, thank you for your thoughts, Do you have a firm pillow? My pillow is very soft, I put the mask on then and tried to simulate a blocked port with my bed configuration, I blocked it easily either partially or fully because the soft pillow sort of pushes up into the Port. Having it jammed up against the bed head doesn't help. I'm going to order the special pillow that Julie suggested but in the meantime I'll go and buy a super hard pillow.

Has anyone else ever accidentally blocked their port?

I move all over the bed mostly sleeping on the right side. I have found a good pillow finally, Sealy Half & Half, Its a firm pillow, unlike many it's not loose foam that doesn't hold up. Google it, I think mine was about $30, in the last two years i've wasted way more than that, I should get the matress made out of the same stuff. Jim

Keep those potatoes out of your exhaust pipe.