Add a tube to the exhaust port?

[Scarlet834]

I found out that my poor husband was excessively blasted with air last night. I also long to lie on my side with the upper arm under my head without freezing it with air. Has anyone ever attempted to add some sort of tube or guide to the CO2 exhaust port to extend it? Simple barriers to block the air from arm or otherwise don't work well because the air sounds like a freight train when it hits.

Just wondering and dreaming.

[Julie]

I know some people use a kind of 'shield' to divert the flow, and certainly pillows in between them.

[Gerald]

Scarlet.......

A suggestion.....Solve the problem by figuring out exactly what kind of result you want. Lie down in your bed.....use anything to re-direct the flow in the direction you find most comfortable for you and your partner.

Then, go to a craft store....or a hobby shop (model airplanes, cars, etc)....or Lowe's.....and show them what you're trying to achieve.

Once you know the "shape" of the diverter you want, look for anything in the craft or hobby shops that you can adapt to do what you want. Use a Dremel tool to craft what you need....after you've found a "shape" that's close to what will work. It might be that you can take something like a 90-degree "L" fitting made from PVC....in the plumbing dept of Lowe's....and craft it into an attachment that will divert the air to where you want it.

Drill tiny holes in the diverter and mask....so that you can use copper wire ....to attach your diverter to your mask.

What you want is to fabricate a diverter that directs the air parallel to your face....toward the top of your head.....instead of letting it blow straight out.

Think of it as an interesting....and useful...."craft project".....

Hope this helps..........

Gerald

[roster]

I also long to lie on my side with the upper arm under my head without freezing it with air.

What about wearing something over the arm?

I don't wear much in the bed because it tends to get too warm. For running and climbing, I wear longsleeve, lightweight, wicking tee shirts ( http://reviews.nike.com/9191/125452/reviews.htm ). I have thought about wearing one of these in bed for just the purpose you mention - keeping the tickle of CPAP exhaust flow off my bare arm.

I already wear a lightweight ladies tights leg around my mask, maybe I should put the other leg over my arm?

[dsm]

As a caution, be aware that if you do restrict the flow too much, there is a risk of causing more CO2 to be re-breathed than might be ideal.

I really don't know for sure just how big an issue re-direction can become in terms of interfering with the exit holes.
Perhaps one of our RT - Sleep study members can comment ?.

Good luck

DSM

[Scarlet834]

I'll let you guys know how the craft project turns out. Pillows are definitely my husband's favorite defense. I'll be mindful not to poison myself with CO2. I think 6 inches of diversion would work. I should have mentioned that whatever hits my arm or any nearby pillow or blanket barrier bounces back in my face. Another challenge! Thanks, all!

[AirBreather]

As a caution, be aware that if you do restrict the flow too much, there is a risk of causing more CO2 to be re-breathed than might be ideal.

Restricting the flow also probably will change the therapy pressure delivered at the mask. I would be cautious about doing anything that restricts the exhaust port flow.

[ozij]

Try the Headrest. It's a nasal pillows mask, the vents point upwards and hit nothing and no one.
Its seals are long lasting, they don't touch your upper lip, the headgear can be removed and the result is a super light mask -- I love it.
It's not a silent mask -- but I much prefer the sound of the Headrest's vent to the sound of air from other masks hitting the bedding or my arms.

By the time the craft project is finished the Swift will be heavier - and you'll need new pillows because they wear out so soon...

O.

[grandmma]

I already wear a lightweight ladies tights leg around my mask, maybe I should put the other leg over my arm?

Sadly, that sentence does not sound out of place in this forum, we are a weird mob!!

You old Cassanova!

[timbalionguy]

I have often wondered why no one builds a mask with two hoses-- one for pressure and one for exhaust. The pressure hose would be as we all use now, and the exhaust hose would run parallel to it, venting in a place away from the bed. A muffler could be put on the end of the hose, to silence the escaping air.

[Scarlet834]

As a caution, be aware that if you do restrict the flow too much, there is a risk of causing more CO2 to be re-breathed than might be ideal.

Restricting the flow also probably will change the therapy pressure delivered at the mask. I would be cautious about doing anything that restricts the exhaust port flow.

I was thinking about this last night again and right now I'm thinking more of some kind of unnamed large cone, tube, or barrier, not a little hose, or I may just go hunting an L-shaped pillow and forget about my old arm under the head sleeping position. A couple of my old favorites would probably practically block the vents with my arm and there may be no solution.

I will keep other mask designs in mind, but I'm doing very well with the LT right now and don't want to change quite yet. There are tradeoffs to this condition, I guess.

[teitner]

I have often wondered why no one builds a mask with two hoses-- one for pressure and one for exhaust. The pressure hose would be as we all use now, and the exhaust hose would run parallel to it, venting in a place away from the bed. A muffler could be put on the end of the hose, to silence the escaping air.

That woulbe a great idea and the dme's could Charge the price of an exaust system for the mask somwhere around $500 to $750 for it.

[roster]

That woulbe a great idea and the dme's could Charge the price of an exaust system for the mask somwhere around $500 to $750 for it.

.... and tell you it is against the law to operate a machine without an exhaust hose?

[DreamDiver]

I have often wondered why no one builds a mask with two hoses-- one for pressure and one for exhaust. The pressure hose would be as we all use now, and the exhaust hose would run parallel to it, venting in a place away from the bed. A muffler could be put on the end of the hose, to silence the escaping air.

Today's masks all have CO2 relief valves for when power fails. Because of that short relief valve, if you sleep through a power failure you'll only be as likely to die from asphyxiation as you would without the aid of an xPAP. If the tube is long enough, your breath is shallow enough and the power is off, eliminating your Positive Air Pressure (PAP), CO2 buildup in such a system of tubes could depress your body's sensory feedback to the point that you won't even know you're asphyxiating - especially if you sleep through it. Putting it another way, if you keep your mouth closed (or wear a full face mask) a long exhaust tube will elevate your chance of asphyxiation well above untreated sleep apnea because you'll be rebreathing your own CO2 when your machine is without power. (You won't gasp because your body isn't getting the expected feedback. It can be very insidious. Cavers have to watch out for CO2 asphyxiation for the same reason.) Adding a muffler to the end, sad to say, is likely to cause even worse likelihood of asphyxiation, especially when there is no PAP to move the air. When there is power, a muffler will also change the xPAP response for the air column between your mask and your lungs, possibly throwing off your live titer on APAP, or causing odd results on CPAP.

I admit though - it does make one wonder why someone has not devised a three-way mask port: One that ports exhaust down a tube away from your partner when the machine is on, but opens a relief valve right at the mask when there is no PAP to keep such an exhaust port in exhaust position. It is likely due to two things: where do you add yet another hose on a mask and how noisy would it be?

I would strongly advise against jerry-rigging existing masks with exhaust hoses.
Please please please - do not attempt to create a long exhaust tube unless you really know what you're doing with the relief valve. With the swift, it might be easy to say "I'll probably just open my mouth if the machine goes off," but if your body is used to keeping its mouth shut, you may end up with a whopper of a headache during a power failure - or worse.

[Scarlet834]

I appreciate this very detailed reply. I think you have all answered my question--no one has come up with something safe and effective for this. I'm sticking to the barrier method, I think, and probably not something attached to the mask.