New Member needs advise

Hello!
I've been reading (and learning) posts for a couple of months. Thanks for all the info it has really helped me adjust to the world of sleep apnea.
I was diagnosed 2 months ago with sleep apnea. I had a sleep study in a sleep lab (in which I did not sleep much) and then they did my trituration at home (2 weeks on an auto c-pap). I decided to purchased an auto cpap after I found out that my insurance does not cover durable medical goods....so I was on my own with equipment. I thought since I'm buying I'd get what appeared to be the best, thanks to all the info I read here. I went on a search for someplace to buy my equipment when my local DME told me it would be $1200.00 to buy a remstar w/c-flex (no humidifier). I just knew I could do better. I found c-pap.com (and this forum) and bought my equipment from them I purchased a Remstar Auto W/ C-flex and the humidifier for a lot less. I'm happy with the machine. The mask on the other hand has been a problem. I was happy to read I'm not the only one with mask issues. I have tried the comfort gel nasal mask (my local DME gave me the one I used for my trituration) I could not get that one to stop leaking. Next I bought a Comfort Curve I couldn't get used to it squeezing my face. I bought a Activa Mirage It worked great for a few nights then I stared to feel like I was being smothered (like an octopus on my face). I have had some success with the Profile Lite, thats what I'm using now. I really would like to try a nasal interface (and finally here's my question). I was going to try the Aura (or whatever it's called now) but when I entered my facial measurements they say this is not the best mask for me. It also says the same for the Breeze and the Swift. So my question is how accurate is this info, and has anyone else had this problem?
Sorry for such a long post, just wanted to give some background info.
Thanks Debbie

Hi Debbie,

Welcome to the message board! Sounds like you've done a super good job educating yourself (of necessity!) about equipment and getting yourself a good machine.

As for the mask sizing guide on this site not recommending the Aura (now called the Headrest) or the Swift or the Breeze...heheh....sounds like you might have clicked that you have "slotted nares" when you were putting in info in the sizing form?

No matter what the reason, I'd try whichever one of those nasal pillows interfaces you want to try. I'll bet one or more of them will work just fine for you. But, it's not my money and I could sure be wrong. The Swift is usually a pretty good gamble for most people, since it comes with all three sizes of nasal pillows.

Good luck!

Wait...people with slotted nares aren't supposed to use nasal pillows? Maybe that was part of my problem with using them (it was virtually impossible to get them into my nose, and I never got a seal on them at all until after the bleeding started - ew!). Would have been nice if the DME or Doc had known that and not prescribed/provided them in the first place.

OK, here's a crazy idea:

A week ago I noticed my friend's nostrils - and I though "boy, are they slotted, so narrow she sure couldn't take nasal pillows."

So - here's my crazy thought: How about ordering only the pillow parts of one the masks you're considering, just to get a sense of what they're about? If you really have to fight in order to insert them, your nostrils may be too slotted for them. If they seem to make sense, then you could go on to buy a whole mask, and have a pair of backup pillows ready. Cheaper than buying a whole new mask outright.

O.

I guess I have a totally different way of looking at wearing nasal pillows. I don't want to shove them up into my nostrils to get a seal. I want them to be soft and smushy feeling enough to sit against the outside of my nares to seal, and hardly have the tip inside at all.

Granted, I do use the infamous leg from a pair of pantyhose tights as a strap around the front of the nasal assembly area to stabilize whatever pillows interface I use.

Lately I've even been experimenting with sharp scissors, trimming a little off the tips of the "nozzles" of my Breeze pillows and my Aura (yeah, "Headrest") pillows to make them really stay outside my nostrils. A position possible only with the help of a homemade soft strap like a sling to steady them against the front of the nostrils. Bliss.

CollegeGirl, it's how the headgear holds any nasal pillows against one's nostrils, not whether you can get them pushed up into your nostrils, I believe, that makes or breaks how nasal pillows suit a person. I love nasal pillows, but I sure don't want them up in my snoot! I want them sealing outside my nares.

If the pillows are not big enough to seal against the outside of the nares, and if the angle the headgear holds them there isn't right, and if the headgear lets them shift constantly during the night...given all or any of those "if's"...yeah, they'll be uncomfortable, leaky and the friction can cause tenderness and/or bleeding, no matter what shape a person's nares are.

A strategically applied pantyhose tights leg can work wonders with most any leaky mask situation -- without having to cram nasal pillows up or crank regular straps down.

You have some good advice from the people above, but for what it's worth here's my two-pennies worth!

Slotted nares will almost certainly cause you a problem with nasal pillows, because the ideal way to use nasal pillows is a rested gal described, lightly sealing against the outside of the nares, not jammed up into the nostril until a seal is made!

So assuming you don't have very slotted nares, the three masks you asked about are the Aura (headrest) swift and breeze. I have tried all three and can give you my input on them, although these things are very subjective!

The aura (headrest) felt like it restricted the air intake for me and thus made me work to breath - it only lasted a couple of nights. The swift was my first mask and lasted a couple of months. At first I loved it, but within weeks the very firm side straps of the swift started to drive me crazy until I simply couldn't even stand putting the thing on! As for the breeze, I probably ought to point out that I bought mind second hand from Lori (sleeplessinLI) and she hated it! But for me it has been a godsend - it is very light to wear in that the head-fitting part rests lightly on your head and puts you under no pressure (unlike say the straps for the activa). I am a side sleeper and find that I lie with the nasal bowl part of the breeze resting on the pillow and the inserts resting lightly against my nares. This means that I hardly even feel it! The downside is that it can be moved out of position quite easily, but then again it can be moved back into position easily as well!

The hose is another consideration. You need to have some kind of suspention of the hose so that it doesn't pull the mask. I have a couple of girls hairbands (scrunchies i think they're called (in the UK at least)) tapped to the headboard of my bed. The hose I use just sits in them and is stopped from sliding off and pulling at the mask.

And lastly, if you try the breeze, work with it until you find a good setup (it is very adjustable) and then tape it in place so that you can keep the most comfortable settings. I have taped all but one joint and this stopped me having to keep adjusting it over and over again.

Hope this helps
sir_cumference

Thanks for all the replies. I do have slotted nares but they are not that narrow. I think I will try the Swift when I can afford another mask. I'll let you know how things turn out.
Thanks again
Debbie

OOPS.. I forgot to log in the last post was from me.
Debbie