What is an acceptable level of Mask Leak?

Snorkel · Post by **Snorkel** » Fri May 18, 2007 9:34 pm

Yeah, the tape was tight and secure. Tried to blow out with it, and no go. So, consider it worked. I guess what is happening is the pillows are unseating themselves from time-to-time. What's weird is it's the mask they supposedly titrated me with successfully.

I guess I have to go try another mask - possibly a fuller face version, which I was hoping to avoid. This is such a pain.

thanks again for the help
david

blowfish · Post by **blowfish** » Fri May 18, 2007 9:37 pm

jules · Post by **jules** » Fri May 18, 2007 9:47 pm

I think you always sleep differently away from home over at home. During titration you were still "this is a test" mindset and so reacted accordingly and probably didn't allow as much movement as you normally do (especially with all the other wires they were so nice to provide you that night). It is the movements that cause the swift to be dislodged.

Get out a piece of elastic - something stretchy -and tie it around the base of your head onto those triangles at the end of the swift barrel. If you can't find any elastic then try a piece of string to anchor the mask. Try SVH's safety pin fix to anchor it.

I used to find the swift half on half off all the time before anchoring it. After anchoring it, I would wake up with the headgear half way up my head but the mask was still intact on the nares and the leak numbers were good.

Joethespy · Post by **Joethespy** » Fri May 18, 2007 9:55 pm

First let me say that I have been in sleep medicine a long time (almost 20 years) and it is exciting and refreshing to see how well educated and involved people are on this board. I just thought I could add some information for my (sleep technologist) perspective. And no, I do not use CPAP. I can also tell you that I am not that farmiliar with all the settings and features of home CPAP machines but in just a short time being this board, I have learned a lot.

As far as airflow, this is one of the physicological parameters that we monitor during a polysomnogram. It monitors inhalation and exhalation. Sometimes large leak volumes can effect this but the threshold that this takes place varies from patient to patient and mask to mask and until leak beginning to effect airflow, we don't worry about it just monitor and note it. Some labs may have a different approach to this but this is ours.

I also agree about chin straps most people don't like them and personally I will only use one as a last resort.

I have heard of people using tape to seal their mouths shut and I believe there is a company that makes a product for this. There used to be a company that made a special tape for this. I'm not sure if they are still around and I'll try to find it if they are and post the information.

Good luck to all....Joe

blowfish · Post by **blowfish** » Fri May 18, 2007 9:58 pm

jules · Post by **jules** » Fri May 18, 2007 10:06 pm

Babylon 5 was a much better series

blowfish · Post by **blowfish** » Fri May 18, 2007 10:11 pm

Snorkel · Post by **Snorkel** » Fri May 18, 2007 10:16 pm

[quote="jules"]I think you always sleep differently away from home over at home. During titration you were still "this is a test" mindset and so reacted accordingly and probably didn't allow as much movement as you normally do (especially with all the other wires they were so nice to provide you that night). It is the movements that cause the swift to be dislodged.

Get out a piece of elastic - something stretchy -and tie it around the base of your head onto those triangles at the end of the swift barrel. If you can't find any elastic then try a piece of string to anchor the mask. Try SVH's safety pin fix to anchor it.

I used to find the swift half on half off all the time before anchoring it. After anchoring it, I would wake up with the headgear half way up my head but the mask was still intact on the nares and the leak numbers were good.

Wulfman · Post by **Wulfman** » Fri May 18, 2007 10:18 pm

Joethespy wrote:First let me say that I have been in sleep medicine a long time (almost 20 years) and it is exciting and refreshing to see how well educated and involved people are on this board. I just thought I could add some information for my (sleep technologist) perspective. And no, I do not use CPAP. I can also tell you that I am not that farmiliar with all the settings and features of home CPAP machines but in just a short time being this board, I have learned a lot.

As far as airflow, this is one of the physicological parameters that we monitor during a polysomnogram. It monitors inhalation and exhalation. Sometimes large leak volumes can effect this but the threshold that this takes place varies from patient to patient and mask to mask and until leak beginning to effect airflow, we don't worry about it just monitor and note it. Some labs may have a different approach to this but this is ours.

I also agree about chin straps most people don't like them and personally I will only use one as a last resort.

I have heard of people using tape to seal their mouths shut and I believe there is a company that makes a product for this. There used to be a company that made a special tape for this. I'm not sure if they are still around and I'll try to find it if they are and post the information.

Good luck to all....Joe

Joe,

Please stick around and keep giving us your perspective on some of these subjects. You might take into consideration that lots of the folks here had bad experiences with "the system" and consequently that's why we gravitate to the forums for information and help. With those bad experiences comes a hostility to that "system", so be prepared for lots of ranting.
Also, with so many individuals and so many experiences, it becomes a very educational place to find information.
We've been blessed with a number of other RTs, doctors, sleep techs and many other highly educated folks......most of whom also have OSA.

Best wishes,

Den

jules · Post by **jules** » Fri May 18, 2007 10:29 pm

around back of base of head

i actually had best success with two small bands added - one under ears and one above ears but I used one piece of elastic in a long double loop

elastic allows easy off and on - a string would be harder to get off in a rush but doable

you can thread something inside the triangles put it on and tie it at the right size but with string you have to retie it each night - a piece of twine or a long shoelace can be tried

SVH's fix with the safety pins is also to get the lower band of the headgear around the base of the skull if you look at the pictures on that thread I posted the other night

the whole idea is to anchor the mask somehow using something (string, headgear piece, elastic band) behind the base of the head to help fix the nose pillows in place. resmed didn't do in their original design

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Snorkel · Post by **Snorkel** » Mon Jun 04, 2007 11:39 am

To slightly revive an older post. Well, I downloaded my new week's worth of data, and my AHIs are gack up into the 25+/- events/hr range. I had also gotten a new mask - the comfortgell, which seemed to help quite a bit on the leaks.

after yearterday's score in the teens and today's in the 20s, I'm totoally zonked.

Should I go back to the dock? Do I need an APAP?

rj

Snorkel · Post by **Snorkel** » Mon Jun 04, 2007 7:06 pm

ok, one month on therapy. Pressure titrarted at 7 CM h20. graphs as earlier in the thread. tjhe past couple of nights have been off the charts.

and this

So, what is going on? I'm really getting confused not to speak of tired.

David

bdp522 · Post by **bdp522** » Mon Jun 04, 2007 7:38 pm

How do the leaks look?

Brenda

Snorkel · Post by **Snorkel** » Mon Jun 04, 2007 9:17 pm

Leaks were a lot worse two weeks ago before changing mssks from pillows to nasal mask. A bit higher than I'd like, but still not anything too high. if anything happened, the leaks decreased way in the past few weeks... to the point where i was happy. things seems so much bnetter until a few nights ago when the ahi went back up.

David

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CPAPopedia Keywords Contained In This Post (Click For Definition): AHI

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CPAPopedia Keywords Contained In This Post (Click For Definition): Titration, AHI, APAP