Condensation

dkeat · Post by **dkeat** » Thu Feb 23, 2006 9:29 am

I could really use some advice here on handling a condensation situation. I am using an Aura mask with an Australian heated hose and despite the hose I am getting enough condensation from the Aura hose (which is unheated) to disturb my sleep repeatedly. I have three questions:

1. Is there a good handling for this problem with the Aura?

2. Does the Swift mask also suffer from this problem or would that be a potential solution?

3. I need to be able to sleep on my side as well as on my back. I am not able to use a nasal mask that goes over the nose and puts pressure on the nose-bridge. I need a mask like the Aura or Swift. Is there any other mask that would be similar in design to these two that would not produce condensation when used with a heated hose?

Many thanks in advance.

wading thru the muck! · Post by **wading thru the muck!** » Thu Feb 23, 2006 9:58 am

dkeat,

I fashioned a "custom" hose cover for my Aura hose and has solved the problem for me.

(side note: I've told Padacheek that I would send her one so she could make them for us all like she does with her great pad-a-cheeks, but I have not gotten my butt in gear to find it in the yet unpacked boxes from our move.)

For me, the Swift caused rain-out similar to the Aura, although to a lesser degree. You may want to try the Swift. Even if you decide not to use it every day, it is a great interface for traveling... extremely light and virtually unbreakable.

yardbird · Post by **yardbird** » Thu Feb 23, 2006 10:09 am

I use the Swift with a REMstar auto with heated humidifier and I get no rainout at all AND my hose is au naturale (no cover, no heated hose).

I do not have my hose going UP above my head and then DOWN to me. My machine is on a shelf next to my bed and only about 4 inches above the floor. (10cm approx.).

My hose comes up to my bed and lays (horizontal) on the bed platform at the head of the mattress (so it runs even with the BOTTOM of my mattress). It goes almost to middle of mattress width and then comes back to me and my Swift. So from the Swift to the machine is almost entirely "down hill".

Night temperature in my room is 65F to 68F (18.3C to 20C) and humidifier is one step down from highest level. Room air is very dry this time of year. My pressure ranges from 7 to 9 usually.

At higher pressures you will SQUEEZE more moisture out of the air, so it's possible that I don't have rain out issues BECAUSE of my relatively low pressure. But I think it's also due to the way I have my hose routed.

rested gal · Post by **rested gal** » Thu Feb 23, 2006 10:16 am

I didn't find the Swift to be as likely to collect condensation (or as much of it) as the Aura is. If the heated hose alone can't prevent it, Wader's suggestion is a good one - put cloth around the Aura's connector hose to insulate it. Some people wrap the even smaller tubes of the Aura's nasal assembly, too.

You might also play around a bit with lowering your heated humidifier's heat setting. You might find that the slight additional warmth of the heated hose keeps your nasal passages comfortable with less humidification required from the humidifier itself.

snoozie_suzy · Post by **snoozie_suzy** » Thu Feb 23, 2006 10:20 am

Dkeat~

If you do a search under the word "rainout" you may come across threads discussing this topic. I do remember recently someone posting that not only do they make their own cover for the Aura and Swift tubing (that connects the pillows to the long cpap tubing) but they made a very small covering for the "pillow holder" itself. And from what the post said, it stopped the rainout.

Try doing a search with the rain out term and I am sure you will find it. I can't remember what material it was, but by covering every bit of spare tubing and plastic, and the pillow holder also, it kept the condensation at bay.

Suzy

LandKurt · Post by **LandKurt** » Thu Feb 23, 2006 10:33 am

Is it considered rainout when the problem is at the mask rather than the hose?

For the first time in over a month on xPAP I had a problem with condensation last night. I woke up with a wet nose and a lot of beads of water in the mask. It looks like my breath condensed inside the mask and a couple inches up the tube.

I use a heated humidifier and an uninsulated tube, but have not had a problem before. However, this is only my third night on an APAP. I figure the lower average pressure is a factor, since it blows less air through the mask to flush it out. Data from the smart card also shows a lower average leak rate than the previous two nights. Is there a know correlation between leak rate and rainout? I imagine there could be.

dkeat · Post by **dkeat** » Thu Feb 23, 2006 1:54 pm

Thanks to all who replied to my question about condensation. They were very helpful. I imagine that if the hose is lying on the bed and not sloping downwards from a hanger, the amount of problems with condensation might be reduced. Especially if the CPAP is lower than the bed. On the other hand, it is a "drag" to have that hose hanging off the bed pulling on your mask while you are trying to sleep.

I had a feeling that the Swift would be less of a problem due to the smaller hose on the mask. I guess there are no perfect solutions yet in the world of apnea.

Thanks again.

Guest · Post by **Guest** » Fri Feb 24, 2006 3:29 pm

I have been using swift for 5 months and also am bothered nightly with condensation pouring out and drowning me. I believe the water is coming from the area where the plastic clip holds the nasal pillow on as my husband purchased and installed o rings on each end of the nasal pillow think the water was coming from there- didn't help.

I have the cpap on the floor with a sock tied around the hose and then clipped to my bed sheet by a binder clip. ( use to use a clothes pin but I step on and broke it ) The hose is insulated with water pipe insulation I got at the hardware store.

I sleep with the hose in the down position. Another problem despite several attempts I can not keep the headgear on my head so the mask slides up and wakes me with both water and air leaking from it. And with the slurpy straw gurgling sound some nights I wonder if I am really getting better sleep

hecate · Post by **hecate** » Fri Feb 24, 2006 3:32 pm

Anonymous wrote:I have been using swift for 5 months and also am bothered nightly with condensation pouring out and drowning me. I believe the water is coming from the area where the plastic clip holds the nasal pillow on as my husband purchased and installed o rings on each end of the nasal pillow think the water was coming from there- didn't help.

What does the o ring do? I'm looking for a way to keep the nasal pillows open so air can flow better.

Liz

wading thru the muck! · Post by **wading thru the muck!** » Fri Feb 24, 2006 3:57 pm

hecate wrote:
What does the o ring do? I'm looking for a way to keep the nasal pillows open so air can flow better.
Liz

On the Swift, the "O" rings fit at each end of the "barrel"

Are the pillows on your interface collapsing due to what? Are your nares narrow? What size pillows are you using?

hecate · Post by **hecate** » Fri Feb 24, 2006 5:18 pm

wading thru the muck! wrote:
On the Swift, the "O" rings fit at each end of the "barrel"

Are the pillows on your interface collapsing due to what? Are your nares narrow? What size pillows are you using?

My Nares are medium, but they are soft so without a full force gale slowing through they collapse.

Liz

Snoozie · Post by **Snoozie** » Sat Feb 25, 2006 3:25 pm

Although the Aura is my favorite, I have it on bypass only and just get a few drops of rainout. Not enough to affect sleep. I keep my machine on the floor and the hose is not on a hook. I just turn over the same way each time I shift positions and never have a problem.

With the Swift, I have the humidifier set on 1 or 2 and have never gotten rainout. Have just a felt hosecover on both hoses.

Seems to be a lot of various opinions on the subject. Maybe the areas we live in?

sanctacaris · Post by **sanctacaris** » Sat Feb 25, 2006 9:37 pm

I've been using a snugglehose hose cover over my heated hose, but I have it pulled up so that it covers the 6" hose connecting my Swift to the heated hose and then covers most of the heated hose as well. This is the only way I've been able to control the condensation enough to get a good night's sleep.

Condensation

Condensation

covering the pillow holders

Many Thanks for Replies

Machine	Mask

Machine	Mask