CPAPtalk.com

simplej wrote:I'm surprised so many people actually use nasal masks. I think nasal mask is insufficient, since during sleep you may open your mouth and pressure is lost. Or if you're temperature sensitive, you get nasal blokage if the room temperature is too low and simply have to breath through your mouth.

I was surprised most of masks cost around 200$ which is a big rip off.

Obviously, as you can see by the poll, you don't know what you are talking about. Everyone uses what works best for them.

In your previous post you were going to use a cervical collar instead of a CPAP...you thought that was more efficient...What happened with that?

yaconsult wrote:I am curious what percentage of people use the different types of masks. We are all different and what works well for one can be horrible for another. Nasal pillows work the best for my high pressure needs. How about you?

I have changed the poll choices to match the mask types available on cpap.com. You can see pictures of the different mask types here: https://www.cpap.com/cpap-masks.php

Use RP WISP nasal mask since Aug 2013. But since summer 2014 had issues with
1 It rising up in the back of my head
2. the straps where it connect to the silicone seems to fold my ear lobes over and it hurt.
Seems the silicone does not sit low enough on my face.
If the face frame was just 1 inch lower and if the head gear in the lower part of it was
just one inch lower - I wouldn't have any ear issues.

I'm hoping to find a nasal pillow that works where my ear lobes are not compromised when I sleep.
It hurts my ears some nights. And the stupid headgear does ride up in the back. I think
these people that make these things - I don't think they understand the issues that women
face if they use a CPAP Mask. I have hair below my shoulders and I'm not going to cut it at all.
Growing it out to make me look my age.

May be someday there will be a better standard of care for sleep apnea -

but for now it is CPAP and headgear hair. Oh and red marks on face
which is due to the strap being so tight. (It has to be tight or there will be leaks in the mask).
If these engineers and designers of all these CPAP Masks only understood our issues.

@footballgirl13,

You might consider looking at the Breeze nasal pillow system. It has nothing near or around your ears. The only contact points are the back of the head, the top of the head, and the bottom of the nose. There are stretchy adjustable side straps which some people use and some people don't - they are optional. Read the reviews for it on cpap.com. Most people who use it love it, including me!

footballgirl13 wrote:

yaconsult wrote:. . . Oh and red marks on face
which is due to the strap being so tight. (It has to be tight or there will be leaks in the mask).

Until you try/get other masks: A couple thoughts come to mind in reading your complaints. It sounds very much like you have the straps WAY too tight, a common mistake many of us have sometimes made. Also, you might try a different size nose piece if it still leaks after you loosen up the straps. They're actually designed to sort of "float" (slightly move without loosing its seal) on your nose. That should make it a lot more comfortable and reduce the redness. I hope that helps. It can be frustrating, I know. Good luck.

I found this poll very interesting and surprising to me. I knew nose pillows were popular but I expectd FFM to slightly edge out over total nasal gear. I am more inspired than ever to try nose pillows and see if I have learned to breathe properly. I tried to buy a $50 legacy Remstar from craigslist to exploit it for the two masks it came with including a new in box Opus 360 but as luck would have it she had just sold it after being listed for three months. Buying re-sell-able machines off craigslist to try out the masks they come with is the only option real option I have right now so I try to find machines that are selling for less than it would cost to buy a new mask. Even a brick is handy to use as for a spare, or for hose drying, or to pressure test a mask while fitting each night for those of us that do not have a handy-dandy button on our main machine to make it convenient.

I like the design of the Opus 360 Nose Pillows plus the price seems reasonable so if I need to order one I think it will be my choice. I really like the hose going over the top of the head concept. I did a temp mod to a mask to see if the hose would irritate me and noticed I could watch tv or read with no issue. The hose was unnoticeable while laying around in a mock nap but I did not trust it to sleep because turning a standard elbow upside down points the flap the wrong way and it would flap in the breeze instead of close.

I really like the Simplus Full Face Mask for its comfort, simplicity, and versatility. For any fellow newbies shopping for FFM who need to pay for their own mask and unsure what size to order, most masks have fitting templates available online which may or may not be accurate for your face. The Simplus, however, is the only face mask I found that you can change the size by changing the cushion. If you order the wrong size you can essentially replace it with the purchase of a new cushion for US $25.00 including shipping. If there are other masks that have that ability someone please let me know because the Simplus is working great for now but I seem to be between sizes so I keep my eye out for bargains. If I find out I can use nose pillows the Simplus will probably turn into my backup mask.

[NM - found the link to correct my profile equipment mask selection almost all by myself (thanks Pugsy)]

This poll and discussion were very useful to me as a newbie. I was inspired to try a Swift FX nasal pillows and am happy to report it has gone very well into my second week. I think night 3 I had a little nostril discomfort, but that was it. My leaks are quite low. Success!

Nasal pillows here. Took me a few tries but coming here and reading how tight the headgear shouldn't be has really helped.

I have a question though, what is the difference in comfort and quality between the Nuance and the Nuance Pro? I have the Nuance right now.

I voted nasal pillows but I also bought a FFM for congested days.

Believe it or not I tried almost every mask out there and I just couldn't settle down to one. I had a drawer full of masks that I kept by my bed and would even change them during the night. I thought I would never find the mask that worked for me. I hated the pillow mask the first time I tried it. It made my nose burn so bad. I finally got where I could use them, but I still mask flip flopped until I got the P10. Now that is the only one I use. I struggled with the head gear at first but now I really love it. I just move the straps around until it fits right.

Stormynights wrote:Believe it or not I tried almost every mask out there and I just couldn't settle down to one. I had a drawer full of masks that I kept by my bed and would even change them during the night. I thought I would never find the mask that worked for me. I hated the pillow mask the first time I tried it. It made my nose burn so bad. I finally got where I could use them, but I still mask flip flopped until I got the P10. Now that is the only one I use. I struggled with the head gear at first but now I really love it. I just move the straps around until it fits right.

I love it too. It was the first mask I purchased and loved it right off the bat.

I have switched from a ResMed Full Face Quantro to a ResMed full face AirFit F10. I like this mask except the plastic sides leave marks on your face for awhile.

I have very low pressures so there isn't an issue there. Started CPAP 5 years ago with ResMed Swift FX For Her and Swift LT. I didn't have good follow up care and probably stopped using it because of colds, etc. Tried to start up again but had trouble with the pillows feeling like they closed off my left nostril (deviated septum) and started to collapse when I exhale. With the new system, tried the Wisp and AirFit N10 but my skin is very sensitive and have trouble adjusting the straps correctly so getting irritation and pressure sores every time. Going to a CPAP clinic at my sleep center this week for a mask fitting to try different masks and looking at the FitLife full face mask. Getting much better care with my new doc wanting to do anything that will help me comply with treatment.

And regardless of whether the poll numbers are useful or not, the poll does encourage comments which are very helpful. There's no one solution for all of us but hearing the issues and benefits folks experience help us make more informed decisions about options to try.

I understand that many of us get into the habit of mouth-breathing due to apnea.
In this case, some find that mouth breathing may decrease or cease altogether WITH treatment.
Since nasal pillows offer more comfort, they are the choice for those who can use them.
Mask choice is personal. Never let someone else choose for you!

I use a ResMed Fit for Her F10 along with a chin strap.

A nasal mask for me. Nose breathing imposes more resistance to the air stream than does mouth breathing, resulting in more O2 uptake. As I understand it there must be adequate nasal resistance to maintain adequate elasticity of the lungs.