Well last night was my turn for frustration :(

Sew Tired, that's more leak than I'd want to see on my graph, with any mask.

With mouth taped, or with the DYI mouth guard (either one) my average leak is in the low twenties, often below. You average is double that. I'd strongly suspect mouth air leaking or mouth breathing IF you are pretty sure your mask isn't.

Some people have experimented a night or two with tape over the mouth just to see how their data looked. Even if you didn't go the tape route from then on, you'd at least see whether it was mask or mouth causing the problem and could decide where to go from there.

rested gal wrote:Sew Tired, that's more leak than I'd want to see on my graph, with any mask.

With mouth taped, or with the DYI mouth guard (either one) my average leak is in the low twenties, often below. You average is double that. I'd strongly suspect mouth air leaking or mouth breathing IF you are pretty sure your mask isn't.

Some people have experimented a night or two with tape over the mouth just to see how their data looked. Even if you didn't go the tape route from then on, you'd at least see whether it was mask or mouth causing the problem and could decide where to go from there.

I am fairly sure the mask is not leaking, well, not much any way. It is a new mask.

I guess I will see about trying some way of taping. Need to study up on this.

I taped my mouth last night. So, now I know..... I do NOT have a mouth leak problem!!! YEAH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! My leak rate was HIGHER than untaped.

Will start a new leak rate topic.

I think the leak rate depends on the exhaust valve size on the mask. Some of my ff masks have larger holes than others. There will always be a leak rate. A good nite for me is in the lower to mid 30s with a real flat line on the graph.I notice that if my pressure spikes on my auto much, there is usually a accompaning spike in leakage. I usually wake and will notice that and tighten mask.

loonlvr wrote:I think the leak rate depends on the exhaust valve size on the mask. Some of my ff masks have larger holes than others. There will always be a leak rate. A good nite for me is in the lower to mid 30s with a real flat line on the graph.I notice that if my pressure spikes on my auto much, there is usually a accompaning spike in leakage. I usually wake and will notice that and tighten mask.

I wonder about the chicken or the egg deal. Did the leak cause the spike, or the spike cause the leak? Just thought to compair my leak rate with my pressure chart. When I try to see if my leak went up, or down before or after my pressure change. Looks like the pressure moves first.

Sure with encore pro had tick marks going across not just up and down.

I'm Sew Tired:

I had a question about my leak rates in the 30's and 40's and I PM'd Derek, who I consider to be one of the experts in this area, if not THE expert. He said it depended on the equipment and for what I was using, 30-40 was not bad. Hope I didn't misquote you, Derek, but I don't think I did.

I taped my mouth and it dropped from, if I remember right, 43 to 32-34. But my tape/patches don't last the night, so I ordered Dr. Sue's Nose Breathe mouthguard. Hoping it helps.

I have an question, though, for people who understand the Swift. I always hear a noise which truly seems to be coming from the barrel not only on inhalation, but exhalation too. It's always there. Is that a sign of a leaking Swift or is that normal on straight 10 cms? I am trying to make sure my leaks are not out of control. In any event, I will see once I get the Nose Breathe device and see if that changes things.

Also, Amy, thanks for thinking of me when you wrote, "Sleepless on LI has been saying that she's blowing air out of her mouth at night...I wonder if lowering her pressure would help her with that?: However, I lowered my pressure to 9 cms two nights ago and it wasn't a good result. Less mouth leaks, but not good numbers. Since then, I haven't been able to get back below a 1.0 AHI. I was averaging 0.1 = .05. I did change to the large pillow sleeve, so tonight I'm going back to the medium. Also, for the past two nights, I have been taking Clonazepam for what I think is waking me all night, the PLMD, which may change my AHI a bit. Last night, too, my snore index came back to a 1.0. I only showed one event of snoring and I"ve heard it's not always a snore, but who knows? It does help me sleep through the night, or at least to 4:30-5:45 AM, which is good for me. But I seem to be moving backward instead of forward.

So I think the key is, even though I wake up more per night without the medication (Clonazepman), stop taking it and go back to straight 10 cm CPAP, without CFlex, which is fine, and the smaller pillow sleeve on the Swift.

Feedback anyone???

Lori,

The noise the Swift makes is caused by the higher flow rate because of the smaller diameter tube at the inlet to the nose.
If you are going to move the same amount of air (which is the case) it goes faster through a smaller tube.
That is why the Activa, for example, is quieter. There is no small diameter for the air to go throught faster, so there is less noise.

Joel

Joel,

Now that you mention that, I believe way back Ozij gave me the same explanation, or something close to it. The amount of air you are trying to move at that rate in such a small area that it goes through in the Swift as compared to that larger area of the Activa, it's like the sound of air being forced into a small space. At least I feel better now that it's not a leaky sleeve or something.

How does one really know when a Swift leaks? I have no idea. I don't feel anything other than the exhaust ports letting air out and it's not a whistle or anything like that. So am I safe to assume, which I hate to do, that it's not leaking?

Thanks, Joel.

When mine leaks i feel it at the nares. Try pulling it away and I am sure you will get it to leak and then see how it feels.