Breeze or NAII (or headrest) - small philtrum

allisonandrews · Post by **allisonandrews** » Tue Jan 15, 2008 12:26 pm

I think I have a small philtrum (space between your nose and upperlip). I'd like to try a nasal pillow or prong system and have been looking at the breeze and Nasal Aire II.

I briefly tried a swift II during my sleep study. I absolutely hated it. I am a side/stomach sleeper and when I would have any kind of pressure on my cheek from the pillow, the swift would move to the side and I would get large leaks. I could never get it back in place while laying on my side because my cheek was in the way. (Hard to explain...)

Do you think either of these two would work for me?

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CPAPopedia Keywords Contained In This Post (Click For Definition): breeze, nasal pillow, swift

ozij · Post by **ozij** » Tue Jan 15, 2008 12:30 pm

I don't know about the NAII, but I'ld hesitate about the Breeze. I couldn't keep if form settling on my phlitrum (new word, that one...) and sometimes even pressing down on it. That's one of the reasons I prefer AEIOMED's Headrest.

O.

allisonandrews · Post by **allisonandrews** » Tue Jan 15, 2008 12:34 pm

Do you have any problem laying on your side/stomach with the headrest/ Just looking at it, it seems like any side pressure on the forehead piece would move it.

ozij · Post by **ozij** » Tue Jan 15, 2008 1:04 pm

The Headrest's forehead piece is much easier to handle when you toss and turn in bed than the Breeze's arcing hose guide.

The Headrest is one of the mose lenient masks as far as sleep position is concerned, for both side and stomach sleeping.

O.

allisonandrews · Post by **allisonandrews** » Tue Jan 15, 2008 1:17 pm

Thanks. Perhaps now I should be asking about the NAII or Headrest...

6PtStar · Post by **6PtStar** » Tue Jan 15, 2008 3:04 pm

I love the NAII. Everyone on this board speaks so highly of the Headrest I said I was going to try it one of these days but can't imagine it would be better for me than the NAII. It is so non atrusive, just slip it over my head and insert the prongs. No adjusting and seals so well. I had a little soreness in one side of my nose when I first started and had to use some
ayr gel fo a while, but it went away. A bit important to get the right size. They do hame a kit with all the sizes in it, I think it is about $9 higher than the one with 3 sizes. Some times wise for a first ime user unless you have a good idea what size your nares are. Babette had a NAII that was going around for first timers that wanted to try it without spending the money for one. I don't know where it is now but if she gets on she might see where it is in its travels. Most people either love it or can't tolerate it.

Jerry

allisonandrews · Post by **allisonandrews** » Tue Jan 15, 2008 3:14 pm

I just hope that I would have enough room under my nose for the NAII. With the swift, it felt like I had a huge barrell there, pressing my lip down over my teeth.

6PtStar · Post by **6PtStar** » Tue Jan 15, 2008 3:28 pm

The canullas are very small. They do get a bit larger as the size goes up but still not anywhere close to the swift. The Small size that I use is less than 3/4" and the Medium is just a bit over 3/4" and the whole thing is very soft. I do not notice any pressure on the top lip. I have a sizing star that has litle plugs on it to get you in the ballpark with the size. Would be glad to send it to you and if you can find a size that I have the canulla for I could send you one to try.

Jerry

allisonandrews · Post by **allisonandrews** » Tue Jan 15, 2008 3:32 pm

That's very kind of you, but if I purchase it, I found a site to get it that includes all the sizes plus some free cleaner. I wanted to order the cleaner anyway, so I might as well just get the pack with all sizes.

I just posted a question about the video on it that I watched. It said it was good for only 90 washings. Have you found this to be the case?

sleepycarol · Post by **sleepycarol** » Sun Jan 20, 2008 8:58 pm

I have used the Breeze and for me it pushes on my upper lip. It pretty much takes up my whole upper lip and agree that either a NasalAire or Headrest would probably be better options for you.

Just my opinion.

neverbetter · Post by **neverbetter** » Mon Jan 21, 2008 4:18 pm

I would have to say the nasalaire II followed by the headrest than the breeze.
you may like any of the three.

Sleepdeprived · Post by **Sleepdeprived** » Mon Jan 21, 2008 8:34 pm

6PtStar wrote:I love the NAII. Everyone on this board speaks so highly of the Headrest I said I was going to try it one of these days but can't imagine it would be better for me than the NAII. It is so non atrusive, just slip it over my head and insert the prongs. No adjusting and seals so well. I had a little soreness in one side of my nose when I first started and had to use some
ayr gel fo a while, but it went away. A bit important to get the right size. They do hame a kit with all the sizes in it, I think it is about $9 higher than the one with 3 sizes. Some times wise for a first ime user unless you have a good idea what size your nares are. Babette had a NAII that was going around for first timers that wanted to try it without spending the money for one. I don't know where it is now but if she gets on she might see where it is in its travels. Most people either love it or can't tolerate it.

Jerry

Hi

Mark me as one who loves it

Far better than CL2 Swift or Bravo

One day I will try the headrest but it will have to be decapitated

The NA II is so easy to use

I just slip on the headband and tubes on my head and insert cannula

No need for additional straps or tights. I even removed the over the top of the head strap so the headgear is no more than a simple band (a little velcro inside band prevents slipage)

I wear it ponytale style with shortened tubes that end at crown of head

The whole thing is just rediculously simple and leak resistent if you get the right size cannula

Sleepdeprived

6PtStar · Post by **6PtStar** » Mon Jan 21, 2008 8:45 pm

What I don't understand is how the prongs can fall out if the leak rate fit is good. I just don't think you can get the prongs tight enough to keep it from falling out unless the hoses are not tight enough in the headgear and they are letting it slip down with the weight of the hoses to pull it out of your nares. Maybe so but I just have never had it happen.

Jerry

Guest · Post by **Guest** » Tue Jan 22, 2008 7:09 am

6PtStar wrote:What I don't understand is how the prongs can fall out if the leak rate fit is good. I just don't think you can get the prongs tight enough to keep it from falling out unless the hoses are not tight enough in the headgear and they are letting it slip down with the weight of the hoses to pull it out of your nares. Maybe so but I just have never had it happen.

Jerry

I never have a problem with the prongs falling out wearing the NA II ponytale style

I used to use a medium with the prongs shoved all the way up nasal passage and extra headgear rings for a stationary fit but went to a medium plus and insert prongs only up past the rounded prong lips. Without a lubricant the prongs just about hold all on their own. Cutting the tubes at the crown of my head also gives additional stability and leaves nothing that can be pushed down by contact with another surface

Wearing it this way nothing touches my face at all

I also tried wearing it figure eight style with a headband. It was pretty good but I did not like the tubes touching my face so I used finger cots to cover tubes. It was comfortable but sleeping on back could create a problem where the presure on tubes could force the cannula out. Adding pantyhose tights stopped that and I probably would have worn it that way except for the inconvienance of cleaning.

The cut ponytale style is very simple and convienient

Sleepdeprived

Guest · Post by **Guest** » Tue Jan 22, 2008 3:17 pm

NASAL AIRE II COMMENTS:

I'm a side sleeper, and can sleep on either side with the NAII. I wear my NAII in the ponytail configuration. You can see our collective wisdom (including my tip sheet) on the NAII here:

cpaptalk.com/cpaptalk-faq.php?FCID=11#11

BTW, I twist my cannula so that there is NOTHING sitting on my upper lip. Doesn't look online like you can do that, but I can.

I prefer the NAII to the Breeze because I too have a very short upper lip and the Breeze really HURT my upper lip. I also prefer it to everything else I tried, for a variety of reasons, but MAINLY because of the upper lip issue: Headrest, CL2, Hybrid, OptiLife... I can't remember what else I tried. Those first weeks are a nightmare blur... I didn't try the Swift because I could immediately see it would be irritating to me.

I don't count the washings, so I can't say if it lasts 90 or not. I don't usually wash more often than once a week. When I find I'm not getting a good seal, that's when I know I need a replacement. First I give it a good wash and vinegar soak, then if I'm still leaking, I buy a new cannula. My insurance pays me for replacement of the entire mask every 6 months, so I buy the all sizes version, and swap forum members for the sizes I want, so I have back ups.

I highly recommend buying the all-sizes version from cpap.com. Once you've settled on a size, trade off your SMALLER cannulas to forum members. Keep your larger sizes - you never know, you might change your mind. I've gone from Medium, to MP to Large since starting on it. I think it's me getting used to having something up my nose, as opposed to my nose enlarging. No one has said my nose is getting bigger.

Hope this helps!
Babette - Nasal Aire II NaBob