Comfort Curve question -- is air noise a leak?

Guest · Post by **Guest** » Mon Jul 10, 2006 6:01 am

Here I've been raving about my Comfort Curve and suddenly I'm second guessing my new-found success.

Can any of you with CC experience tell me how much noise the mask -- not the machine -- should be making? I'm hearing air escaping but can't feel and leaks, so I'm not sure if it's the normal sound from the vents or if it's actually leaking. Any way to test? Not much point in wearing it if it won't keep a good seal, but it's so damned comfortable in comparison to all the others I've tried, I'm desperate to make it work for me.

Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks,

Kurtchan

kurtchan · Post by **kurtchan** » Mon Jul 10, 2006 6:02 am

Just me having computer issues again! The message/question above is from me, not a guest. Sorry!

OwlCreekObserver · Post by **OwlCreekObserver** » Mon Jul 10, 2006 10:25 am

Anonymous wrote: Can any of you with CC experience tell me how much noise the mask -- not the machine -- should be making? I'm hearing air escaping but can't feel and leaks, so I'm not sure if it's the normal sound from the vents or if it's actually leaking. Any way to test? Not much point in wearing it if it won't keep a good seal, but it's so damned comfortable in comparison to all the others I've tried, I'm desperate to make it work for me.

Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks,

Kurtchan

I haven't noticed excessive noise with the thing, and as far as I know the only "leaky" sound I'm getting is from the vents on the front.

There's a triangle shaped depression on the inside of the interface bridge (the darker grey thing) and an identically shaped raised triangle on the outside of the cross-tube. If those aren't fitted together, it might create a louder sound. I haven't tried it, but it makes sense because the vents might then blow partially into the cross-tube.

Also, there's a lip on the front of the nasal cushion that's designed to fit INSIDE the opening on the cross-tube. Again, I haven't experimented with it, but it seems to me that if it wasn't lined up right, you'd likely get some extra noise there.

I'm still really pleased with my ConfortCurve. I've had to go back to my ConfortFull mask for a night or two, and the constant leaks throughout the night are really annoying.

By the way, I discovered that I had my ComfortCurve straps adjusted a little too tightly and I started to have some leaks with it, but once I loosened them back up a bit, it worked beautifully for me.

OCO

kurtchan · Post by **kurtchan** » Mon Jul 10, 2006 12:23 pm

OCO,

Thanks for your CC mask observations. I wish there was a way to tell if what I'm hearing is indeed the vents. But, of course, when you take off the mask to listen, all you hear is rushing air from the nasal interface.

I agree with you wholeheartedly about the comfort of the mask and want to do everything I can to ensure that it's working 100% properly so I don't have to go back to one of the other leviathans I was using.

Out of curiosity, what size (S,M,L) nasal interface are you using? I've tried all three and the medium seems to work best for me. As the Three Bears would say... "the large was too big and the small was too small, but the medium was 'just right'!"

Kurtchan

OwlCreekObserver · Post by **OwlCreekObserver** » Mon Jul 10, 2006 1:28 pm

kurtchan wrote:OCO,
Out of curiosity, what size (S,M,L) nasal interface are you using? I've tried all three and the medium seems to work best for me. As the Three Bears would say... "the large was too big and the small was too small, but the medium was 'just right'!"

Kurtchan

I think I mentioned in an earlier post that I was using the medium, but that was in error. The template that best fit me was the large, so that's the only one I've used.

By the way, I neglected to mention in my last post that you also have to be sure that the nose cushion is properly seated. The two pegs at the bottom and the peg at the top all three have to be slipped into their slots. There are some little "dimples" on the bottom of both the nose cushion and the interface bridge (the dark grey flexible thingee) and lining those up helps to position the nose cushion correctly.

I've only used two masks so far -- the ComfortFull and the ComfortCurve 2. The ComfortCurve is a whole lot more comfortable to wear and I'm hopeful that I can eventually get past the problem of air leaking through my mouth when I drop off to sleep, besides using tape. I'm workin' on it. Like you, I REALLY want this thing to work.

Cympianne · Post by **Cympianne** » Mon Jul 10, 2006 9:14 pm

I bought the Comfort Curve last year because it looked so much more comfortable than the Comfort Gel (size - petite) that I got from the insurance company - not to mention that you could watch tv with it instead of being cross-eyed. But when I got it - I tried it twice and could not use it - it kept me awake all night long - I thought it was the pressure - but I am still pretty new at this stuff and didn't know about these forums. I stuck it in a drawer (where it still resides) and had the DME give me the same mask when it was time to get a new one. The first one was not bad - but the 2nd one - that I am currently using - is driving me crazy. It leaks around my eyes badly and every morning when I wake up my eyes are crusted. Half the time I wake up and my teeth feel like they've moved and don't line up correctly anymore and I usually have lumps on either side of my nose from the pressure of the mask (I don't think it's too tight - it slides sometimes). I need a new mask - they provide one every 6 months - and I asked for the Comfort Lite 2 - with some trepidation because of the CC experience - but now I wonder if I should try the Hybrid - but I sleep on my side a lot.

I have read a lot of info about software and reading results from machines. I don't have a card and I have no clue how to change the pressure on my machine (I thought maybe the pressure was too high - 12 - for the CC). How do you learn all this stuff? I haven't been back to the sleep clinic since last summer when they did my follow up after I first got my machine.

I don't mean to sound ignorant - but that's how I feel - there seems to be so much more info re the machine and the masks than what little I've gotten from the clinic!

One thing that has worked right - my husband took a wire clothes hanger - hooked over the top of the headboard (bookcase style) with the hook hanging over the edge - the cord goes through and makes it a lot easier when I move in the night.

Thank you for any input?

rested gal · Post by **rested gal** » Mon Jul 10, 2006 9:49 pm

Hi Cympianne and welcome to the message board.

You and your husband were smart to come up with a method to hang the main air hose up out of your way.

Here's a clickable link that you might be interested in...ways that others have done the same thing - getting the hose under control. Has some pictures of their setups.

LINKS to Hose hangers and methods of managing the air hose

The ComfortLite 2 you've ordered is a good one, imho. I don't like any other Respironics mask I've ever tried, but do like that one very much. Has to have "2" in the name, as it is an improvement over the original ComfortLite.

The "Headrest" by Aeiomed is another good one for many people. It's my personal favorite, but not many home health care places have even heard of it, much less have it.

The Breeze with nasal pillows is another good one if you sleep most on your sides. It's not so good for sleeping on one's back. I'd suggest "Large" nasal pillows...they are softer and squishier than the "Medium"...the Large seal better for me even though I have a small nose, and small nostril openings.

Here are some clickable links to a lot of interesting discussions about all three of those masks:

LINKS to Respironics ComfortLite 2 nasal pillows mask topics New ComfortLite 2

LINKS to Aeiomed Headrest (formerly Aura) nasal pillows mask topics

LINKS to Breeze nasal pillows / nasal mask topics

Also, maybe you can find a hint or trick in the link below to make your present mask work better for you:

LINKS to Comfort Curve nasal mask topics

Cympianne · Post by **Cympianne** » Mon Jul 10, 2006 11:08 pm

Thank you so much - I will get started and see what I can learn! It is all so very confusing! I will have to say that even with all the problems - I still prefer the way I feel with the mask/cpap vs not using it - at least for more than 1 night at a time.

Thank you again for all the info.

Cindy

NightHawkeye · Post by **NightHawkeye** » Tue Jul 11, 2006 4:48 am

kurtchan wrote:Can any of you with CC experience tell me how much noise the mask -- not the machine -- should be making?

With my newfound Comfort Curve experience (one night's worth) I can tell you that mine also makes noise, even though it isn't leaking. Mine is noisy when I inhale, but not when I exhale. Of course, since I'm using BiPAP, it could just be that I hear the noise on inhalation because of the higher pressure during inhalation.

And I'm also using the medium size mask.

Regards,
Bill

Hawthorne · Post by **Hawthorne** » Tue Jul 11, 2006 4:51 am

I really like the Comfort curve but had to put plumbers tape where the small Y hose connects to the mask on each side. Air would come out there. I clean it without taking that part apart and I hardly ever have to change the tape. The other thing I have found is that you have to be very sure the nose piece it snapped in correctly each time you wash it and put it back on. Air hisses here if it is not connected right.
With these 2 things, I find it the best mask I have used----so far.

Guest · Post by **Guest** » Tue Jul 11, 2006 6:18 am

OCO and Hawthorne,

Thanks for your input. After re-reading OCO's earlier post, I completely took the thing apart last night and re-assembled it. Much to my chagrin, I had the bendable piece that hold the cheek pads on the wrong side of the flanges on the rigid tube with the exhaust vents. Oops! Once together correctly, it eliminated any sensation of air leakage and most of the noise. Now I just have to figure out what's rattling in the left exhaust area! lol

I must say that, for all the positive and negative comments posted about this mask, I absolutely love it. After 6 weeks of CPAP therapy and desperate attempts to be 100% compliant, I finally slept through the entire night with the machine on and the mask on my head -- 8 hours of uninterrupted sleep -- which is nothing short of miraculous for me. I feel a bit groggy this morning, but I think it's a sleep hangover after almost too much of a good thing.

With the help of good friends on this forum, I look forward to lots more restful nights!

Thanks,

Kurtchan

OwlCreekObserver · Post by **OwlCreekObserver** » Tue Jul 11, 2006 7:47 am

Anonymous wrote:OCO and Hawthorne,

Thanks for your input. After re-reading OCO's earlier post, I completely took the thing apart last night and re-assembled it. Much to my chagrin, I had the bendable piece that hold the cheek pads on the wrong side of the flanges on the rigid tube with the exhaust vents. Oops! Once together correctly, it eliminated any sensation of air leakage and most of the noise. Now I just have to figure out what's rattling in the left exhaust area! lol

Excellent! Glad to hear that it's (mostly) working for you. As for that rattling sound, I think I narrowed it down to the cheek pad not being completely seated, especially at the top end of it next to the cushion. At least that was my experience. Once I eased it back over the ridge so that it wasn't touching the nose cushion, the rattling went away.

I will say that the ComfortCurve is pretty touchy and everything has to be just right. Just because it worked perfectly last night doesn't necessarily mean it will tonight without some adjustments. But even with the daily tweaking, overall it's working really well for me so far.

kurtchan · Post by **kurtchan** » Tue Jul 11, 2006 8:26 am

OCO,

Thanks for your further observations. I'll check out the cheek pads tonight and see if they're causing the rattling. With all the gear so close to my face, it's hard to know exactly where the noise is coming from.

I agree with you 100% about the CC being a little persnickety, but well worth the nightly tune-up.

Thanks again,

Kurtchan

ladytonya · Post by **ladytonya** » Tue Jul 11, 2006 11:40 am

I always thought the CC looked comfy, but I've never tried it because of all the negative reviews I've read on here and other boards. Also, with all the various masks the techs at my sleep center had to try, the CC wasn't one of them. They said that they had such bad luck with it that they got rid of it. I haven't asked my DME if they have one in stock I could try.

Those of you who have had success, do you sleep on your side or stomach at all or strictly on your back? Have you had to do a lot of tweaks or did it pretty much work out of the box? Is it really as comfortable as it looks? I have so many questions! I probably just need to see if my DME has one I can try, but I like hearing what people on here say first. This is such a great board!

OwlCreekObserver · Post by **OwlCreekObserver** » Tue Jul 11, 2006 12:28 pm

ladytonya wrote: Those of you who have had success, do you sleep on your side or stomach at all or strictly on your back? Have you had to do a lot of tweaks or did it pretty much work out of the box? Is it really as comfortable as it looks? I have so many questions! I probably just need to see if my DME has one I can try, but I like hearing what people on here say first. This is such a great board!

Yeah, when I told my DME that I'd bought one on-line and that I actually liked it, she couldn't believe it. I think this is a very good example of the iron-clad rule that no mask works well for everybody, no matter what the sleep clinics seem to think.

I sleep mostly on my back but also spend some time on either side during the night. I usually wake up because the mask needs adjusting when I do that. I've also learned how to shape my pillow to accomodate the mask when I'm on my side and have been able to make it work.

I think it's very comfortable and I like the fact that I can wear it while I'm reading in bed. As soon as I get sleepy I can just turn out the light and not have to go through the hassle of putting a mask on and getting it sealed, which often causes me to be wide awake again for a while.

As you said, everything I've read makes it clear that there aren't very many of us who really like it. All I can say is that so far it has worked far better for me than my ComfortFull.

Comfort Curve question -- is air noise a leak?

Comfort Curve question -- is air noise a leak?

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