Some questions about masks

Greetings,

I've been lurking for a bit. My sleep study was Wednesday, and the technician was kind enough to give me a little information before I left:

Me: I suppose you are not allowed to tell me anything about how it went?
Her: What would you like to know?
Me: Uhhhhhhhh... (I'm known for my quick wit)
Her: What you really want to know is whether you will need to come back for a titration study, right?
Me: That's exactly what I want to know.
Her: The answer is yes, you do.

Since that will be the 12th and sleep doc followup will be the 22nd, I figure I've got about three weeks I have to wait, which is maddening, but whatever. One of the local DME's here (Boise, ID) is Norco and they have a web presence, and I already have my eye on a Resmed S8 AutoSet II, but we'll see about that. But what I'm wondering is the following:

For the titration study, will they use a full mask or a nasal mask, and does it matter? I mean, if they start off with a nasal mask and it turns out I need a full mask, will that become apparent during the titration procedure? Or can they generally complete their mission with anybody with either kind of mask?

I know I end up switching to mouth breathing alot when apneas are happening and then switching back. Does that indicate that I will need a full face mask?

Is it the case that mask choice and machine choice are independent? That you could attach any kind of mask to any machine? All the connections (machine to hose, and hose to mask) are standardized?

Thanks, and see you in the funny papers...

brain_cloud wrote:For the titration study, will they use a full mask or a nasal mask, and does it matter? I mean, if they start off with a nasal mask and it turns out I need a full mask, will that become apparent during the titration procedure? Or can they generally complete their mission with anybody with either kind of mask?

I know I end up switching to mouth breathing alot when apneas are happening and then switching back. Does that indicate that I will need a full face mask?

Is it the case that mask choice and machine choice are independent? That you could attach any kind of mask to any machine? All the connections (machine to hose, and hose to mask) are standardized?

Welcome to the forum. Start your reading and learning now. There is a lot to soak up.

Regarding the titration study and choice of masks. It doesn't really matter which type as long as they can get good data. The tech will likely try to use his personal preference but if it doesn't suit you don't be afraid to speak up. They have to get good data to get your pressure optimized. Hopefully they will let you try some different masks to see which is more comfortable to you.

You may or may not need a full face mask. If you normally have a lot of nasal congestion, then yes, most likely will need full face type. If you only occasionally breathe through your mouth during the night when gasping for breaths (like I did) then you may be able to get by with the nasal pillows or nasal mask.

Mask choice and machine choice doesn't matter with the exception of a special type of xpap machine and I forget which machine and mask. For all of us with plain jane OSA, any mask will work with any machine. The connectors are pretty much universal. I have a Respironics machine and have tried various brands of masks and all work just fine.

Welcome!

Most likely they will try a nasal pillow and a nose mask first. However, it does depend on the tech. They will try and figure out which works best for you. If you are a mouth breather most likely a Full Face Mask will be tried as well. If you find one works best for you during the study then ask for that kind of mask when you get your machine at home. You can always get another mask if the first one does not work for you. Good luck and spend some time investigating all the great information provided here.

Thanks for the info. It's difficult to wait. I may be falling into the trap of building up the OSA therapy in my mind into something bigger than it is. Like it is going to solve everything in my life or something. We'll see.