Mask Fit and AHI

I recently switched masks and not until today have I realized how important proper mask fit is to reducing apnea events.

I averaged about a 1.5 AHI while using a Swift FX nasal pillows. I switched to the P10 nasal pillows about 2 months ago. I just pulled up my data in SleepyHead this morning. I've averaged a 0.3 AHI over the past 2 months.

xxyzx wrote:so forget the machine, its the mask that makes the difference ?

can you tell us how/why a different mask made any difference ?

were the leak rates different?
time worn different ?

did you not adjust the machine setting to account for a different mask thus changing the effective pressure you get ?

Hmmm... if you know sooo much about machines and masks, how come you don't know that the Swift FX nasal pillows mask and the P10 nasal pillows mask are darn near the same masks. So to tell you what you don't know...... the leaks rates would be the same, and the pressure setting would not need to be changed. DUMB!!!!!!!

nanwilson wrote:

xxyzx wrote:so forget the machine, its the mask that makes the difference ?

can you tell us how/why a different mask made any difference ?

were the leak rates different?
time worn different ?

did you not adjust the machine setting to account for a different mask thus changing the effective pressure you get ?

Hmmm... if you know sooo much about machines and masks, how come you don't know that the Swift FX nasal pillows mask and the P10 nasal pillows mask are darn near the same masks. So to tell you what you don't know...... the leaks rates would be the same, and the pressure setting would not need to be changed. DUMB!!!!!!!

YES..YES

xxyzx wrote:so forget the machine, its the mask that makes the difference ?

can you tell us how/why a different mask made any difference ?

were the leak rates different?
time worn different ?

did you not adjust the machine setting to account for a different mask thus changing the effective pressure you get ?

Why all the hostility?

I haven't analyzed the Sleepyhead data in entirety, but it appears the leak rate was different.

The machine (AirSense 10) only has a nasal pillows setting. Both the Swift FX and P10 are nasal pillows, so I didn't change anything on the machine. Everything was kept the same (min/max pressure, ramp, etc.). Time worn was the same (5-6 hours per night).

The P10 is slightly different than the Swift FX in the angle. It seems more comfortable to me.

I wouldn't take xxyzx too seriously if I were you, southerdoc. He has a bit of a reputation around here and elsewhere.

Your machine does actually have settings for different types of masks but you were right in leaving it on the pillows setting since that is what both types of masks are. It's good that you got an average over a length of time to compare to see what works better for you. I too have noticed that some masks can give me better AHI numbers than others perhaps due to the fit or style of the mask itself. Make sure not to focus too much on the AHI numbers though. How you feel in the morning is actually more important than the raw numbers.

But if you like the P10s more I can't argue with that. After trialing many masks, they are also my favorite!