pressure mark on bridge of nose

I wake up every morning with a red pressure mark across the bridge of my nose.
Is this just the mask on incorrectly (it feels fine and I sleep well) or does this happen to others?

downunderguy wrote:I wake up every morning with a red pressure mark across the bridge of my nose.
Is this just the mask on incorrectly (it feels fine and I sleep well) or does this happen to others?

I think it's pretty common. I've had good luck with padding. The most comfortable is the Sleep Comfort Care Pad. You can get them for about $15 and they are reusable many times. They can be washed when they become a little less "tacky" and will stick again after washing them.

The one I linked to on cpapauction.com is pretty cheap. If you wanted to try one and you thought the small would fit you, that's a pretty good deal.


The other thing I do, which is not as comfortable but still keeps the red mark at bay, is to use a double piece of tape which I cut into an oval to place on the bridge of my nose. The bottom piece of tape is Johnson and Johnson Secure Comfort Tape. The top piece of tape is Nexcare Absolute Waterproof Tape. I put them together like a laminate and then cut out the oval.

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I love the ResMed masks with the forehead brace for just that reason; used to have blisters on the bridge of my nose to keep a good seal; now all I do is adjust the knob on the forehead brace for 'just the right pressure on my nose' and all is well. No more nose problem. There are, of course, other alternative solutions, but this is mine. And I seem to be settling in on the Quattro mask giving me the best results these days although I still like my Mirage Activa.

I get that sometimes but not always. Perhaps it has to do with sleeping on my side.

I take back what I said about the Quattro. It's my 'all-night' mask at present as it resists the 'smooshing' of the face into the pillow syndrome from which I suffer. I also love my Mirage Activa and use it when I am watching baseball or golf on TV and am bound to fall asleep. It maintains a good seal as long as one doesn't 'smoosh'. Still have several other masks to try out including the Comfortgel and the Softgel as well as a half dozen more nasal pillows... the nasal pillows, however, I am almost certain, will NOT work for a pillow "smoosher" - it turns the openings into little wee pressure washer outlets albeit with air and drills a hole through your sinuses into your eyeballs. And the nasal masks that I have tried are also "NON smoosher" masks so good for sleeping on one's back or falling asleep in the easy chair, etc., where little or no smooshing is likely. That Quattro though... man, it takes one heck of a licking from me in terms of smooshing and keeps its seal pretty well. Some have trouble with it. I think that the trick is to make sure it sits right and is sized right for your face; to complete the fit while laying down with the straps and forehead brace adjustment; and finally to give it a pull away from one's face so that the plastics are sitting right on your face and making a good seal. AND... you really need to make sure your face is as clean as it can possibly get... I give mine a quick wash and dry but find that a Strydex pad or equivilant takes the last bit of facial oils off and helps with the seal immensely (get the cheapest equivilant pad you can find - they all use the same ingredients it would appear). I tend to have found the 'sweet spot' on my face for the mask and tend to keep the straps down low on the back of my head so it, in essence, pulls the mask downwards and prevents it from sliding up. With a face free of oil it will also sit still most all night. And, as with everything else CPAP, there is no clear and fast rule and having anything repeat itself in a constant fashion is almost impossible... so don't be off the deep end if the mask has poor seal occasionally.

Now, having said all of this; please note that all of the aforementioned masks will NOT create pressure marks on the bridge of the nose. And also note that should the pressure marks continue they can lead to blistering of the skin due to lack of oxygenation and that is a BAD thing... it means that cells are dying and on occasion this can lead to catastrophic results - so you DO need to deal with the issue immediately if not sooner. I just lucked out and discovered that the ResMed masks that had the forehead brace and 'turn the knob' adjustments did just that for me (in spades).

Am still looking for the magic bullet and probably always will be... but I feel I am getting closer all the time. And it does take time... address each issue on its own with tenacity like a pitbull. It may take weeks or months to get to where you want to be. I just want to wake up feeling refreshed. My issue is not blood oxygenation I believe and I am dealing with that (just picked up the plumbing to hook up an oxygen concentrator to see if it is a magic bullet).

Keep at it. Nothing good ever came easy. You will get there eventually but you must keep at it. Good luck.