Night two - bruising or blister on nose

[Wondergirl]

Hi Folks,

I just finished night two with my machine - and on a positive note I slept more and had better results last night then I did the night before.

Some info that may help answer my questions:

I have been diagnosed with severe sleep apnea with an AHI of 62. My sleep study reports showed that all of my apnea is related to snoring ( not sure if knowing that helps any )

I am currently using a Resmed 10 auto for her with humidifier and heated hose. My ramp is set to 15 mins and my levels are set between 5 and 15. When I emailed my sleep tech yesterday she told me that the level needed for my first night was consistently 13. I use a Dream Wear full face mask - the one with the hose that connects at the top and that sits under the nose - size medium. I am trying both the machine and mask for the next 30 days as my insurance gets sorted out to purchase my own machine.

Night 1 - My humidity was too high, the mask made all kinds of bubbling noises, it leaked badly half the night and I had all kinds of rain out. My AHI was 6.9

Night 2 - Lowered my humidity - which worked great. No rain out. I ended up tightening the mask a bit more than the night before. This worked in that I slept a lot better and wasn't woken up by leaks. My AHI was 1.1. I had minor marks on my face by they went away within 15 mins. What was super unfortunate is that under the tip of my nose, and the little area between the underside of my nose and upper lip hurts a lot. It feels bruised or blistered. Even if I don't touch it, it aches and I am aware of pain there. I have ordered mask liners to see if that helps in any way.

Does anyone have any suggestions for what I could do to prevent this nose pain from happening again? I am pleased with everything else from last night. I fell asleep easily, only woke up once. I am not sure if it was the tightening that caused the issue, or maybe I had the mask on improperly?

Thank you so much in advance for any suggestions or support.

[tyrone747]

How large is your head? Does the medium size frame seem like a good fit for you?
On the mask I would try tightening the lower straps a bit more. Loosen the upper straps too if you can without leaking. This has the effect of tilting the mask downwards and reducing the pressure on the nose and upper lip.

For the sore I would apply lanolin to aid in healing. Good luck.

[D.H.]

I found that soaking the face piece in 50% vinegar solution for two hours can cut down on the allergic properties of the mask. You might want to try that no matter what nasty criticisms follow (and they will). If the odor of vinegar is objectionable, just wash thoroughly with soap and water. Otherwise, you can wash a little less thoroughly.

Also, the mask can be too tight, too loose, or uneven. Pay special attention to the relative tightness of the upper and lower straps.

Lastly, why are you using a full face mask?

[babydinosnoreless]

Welcome,

I soak my mask with dr bronners peppermint soap and hot water. It smells so much better than vinegar. Gives it a good cleaning and a nice fresh minty smell. I've seen comments from others who put a small amount of mouthwash in with dish soap and water for the same type of minty effect. The whole point is to get the cushion good and clean from all the chemicals used in making it. Mask liners work if your reaction is from the actual cushion itself. I've seen pad a checks liners recommended a lot. You can also make your own using a soft old t-shirt.

Good luck!

[Wondergirl]

Lastly, why are you using a full face mask?

I am a heavy mouth breather - had my wife track it for me ( we sleep at different times) and she confirmed that at all times when I am asleep that she sees - my mouth is hanging open. This combined with the constant dry mouth I have had for years was reason enough for the sleep tech to suggest I go with a full face mask.

I can't picture myself using a chin strap so that I could switch to a nasal pillow...but if folks had some feedback on that, I would look into it

Thank you all for your great suggestions