Is there a mask that doesn't put pressure on the nose?

[watda78]

I know about the Fitlife total face mask, and I'm testing with that to see if I can make it work, but I'm wondering if there a nasal mask that can be adjusted so it's not pulling down on the bridge of the nose or pushing up under the nose. My nose gets irritated and swollen from anything pressing on it. I've ruled out nasal pillows after a lot of testing, and I can't find a nasal mask that doesn't hurt the bridge of my nose. If I adjust it so it's not pulling down on the bridge of my nose, then it presses up on the bottom of my nose. If I use an oversized mask and adjust it just right so it's not pressing, then it leaks. Any suggestions?

[D.H.]

The only mask that can put absolutely zero pressure on the nose is a "mouth only" mask. Apparently, some are available (I just googled it).

Short of that, what you can do sort of that is find a nasal mask that does not put pressure on whatever part of you nose that is bothersome. One possibility if the "Mirage Vista" mask (picture below). It rests lower on the nose, so maybe that will be less bothersome.

Also, what I found is that I was getting sore from a sensitivity to the latex on my mask. I was able to fix the issue by soaking the part of the mask that touches my fact in 50% vinegar solution for at least three hours before first (or next) use. That does seem to cut down on the allergic properties of the face piece.

Another possibility is to order a custom mask. This is more expensive than a standard mask, but it should last quite a bit longer.

[LSAT]

I know about the Fitlife total face mask, and I'm testing with that to see if I can make it work, but I'm wondering if there a nasal mask that can be adjusted so it's not pulling down on the bridge of the nose or pushing up under the nose. My nose gets irritated and swollen from anything pressing on it. I've ruled out nasal pillows after a lot of testing, and I can't find a nasal mask that doesn't hurt the bridge of my nose. If I adjust it so it's not pulling down on the bridge of my nose, then it presses up on the bottom of my nose. If I use an oversized mask and adjust it just right so it's not pressing, then it leaks. Any suggestions?

Go to cpap.com and look at pictures of the dozens of masks available.

[Pugsy]

I don't like anything on my nasal bridge area...the ResMed Swift FX Nano nasal cushion mask and the DreamWear under the nose cushion nasal mask have been the only nasal cushion masks that I could really sleep comfortably with.
Doesn't sound like you would like the DreamWear...have you looked at the Nano?
https://www.cpap.com/productpage/resmed ... dgear.html

There is the mouth only mask but it's not an easy mask to use at all. The F & P Oracle.
https://www.cpap.com/productpage/fisher ... -mask.html

[watda78]

Thanks for the tip D.H. I am now wondering if it's an allergic issue because my nose has changed shape. I can see it and feel it, it's clearly swollen. Especially if I use nasal pillows, I wake up with someone else's big nose. And I do have prior health issues involving chronic swelling of the nasal passages and eyelids, but this is a different kind of nose swelling.

Actually, what happened was I was trying out this eye mask for dry eyes (https://www.amazon.com/Eyeseals-Hydrati ... k+dry+eyes) with my F&P Eson mask. It's a hard material and it was pressing into the bridge of my nose but I just ignored it. Then after a couple weeks I noticed a decent sized hump on the bridge of my nose. Not a skin injury, I mean the bone had a hump in it. Apparently nose injuries can take months to heal, so I tried nasal pillows. And those swelled up the bottom part of my nose so it fattened and my nostrils are stuck in a flared out position. Now I have a fat humped nose! No, it's not so bad, but I prefer the nose my mom gave me.

Thanks pugsy, I've used the Swift FX pillows but not the Nano. I didn't realize there was a difference. The DreamWear was great the first night, then I struggled with it and then woke up one day with a big fat nose. It's like my nose gets bigger each night, growing into the mask so that the mask doesn't fit and that just aggravates it more and more.

I'll just take a break from anything on my nose and see if I can get this Fitlife mask to work. I've searched this forum and people have had success with the Fitlife using headbands or chinstraps or different sizes so I'll experiment with that. I won't bother with anything touching my nose until it heals, except maybe ice. Thanks again for the great advice, not just here but all over this forum.

[D.H.]

When the sore heals, I think that you should try my vinegar trick. Many have knocked on this forum, but it works for me. I really wasn't even aware of the problem until a mask broke while I was out of the country. I had to open the spare mask and my nose became progressively sorer each day. Due to the extreme danger of sleeping with CPAP (for me it is extreme), I had to put cortisone cream on my nose for several days.

In the last few weeks, I also discovered that a two-hour soak is not quite enough, so I upped it to three.

[Bigtonguehypopnea]

Amara View Minimal Contact Full Face Mask - has hole where nose contacts the mask. Nothing inside the nose, and no upward pressure besides the air itself, which I can't feel. This worked wonders for me, my husband, and our housemate. My problem was bruises on the bridge of my nose that wouldn't go away all day and got worse day after day. Nasal pillows or any mask with headgear that pushed upward on my nose would close off my already minimal nasal airway.

[Bigtonguehypopnea]

There are also cloth options. SleepWeaver Soft Cloth Nasal PAP Mask. I don't think medical suppliers carry it. You have to buy it on line. I find that it is prone to leaking, but I use it in the summer for a week or two at a time.

sleepweaver.jpg (34.08 KiB) Viewed 31822 times

There are also cloth gaskets from Remzzzs. They make them to fit all types of masks. They prevented bruising on the bridge of my nose, but I was afraid they were leaking because would I would inhale I would feel cold air rushing in through the cloth. But I didn't have software then to get actual data.

remzzz.jpg (53.28 KiB) Viewed 31822 times

In your searching, you might come across silicone pads for the bridge of the nose. Those DID NOT work for me. Caused mask leakage at the transition point between the pad and my face.

GeckoNasalPadSideView.jpg (35.45 KiB) Viewed 31822 times

[JDS74]

If you end up trying the Oracle mask, I can help with getting past the difficulties the mask presents.
If you can get any other mask to work for you, then that is a better solution.
For various reasons, I'm stuck with the Oracle and it works fine for me,