Fitting masks

How do they fit masks? My DME just stuck a mask against my face & asked , "How does that feel?" It seems like it must be a little more involved than that. After a meeting with an ENT, they arranged a meeting with thier sleep study clinic next door to look over my equipment, mask, wheather or not they can get any info from the card since the machine is older, & hopefully try a new machine to see how much better it would be without doing a sleep study. She said at home sleeping in your own bed would give a truer reading than a lab anyway. But main question is still, how do they fit a mask?

A proper mask fitting should include:

1. Discussion with you about your sleeping habits--i.e. whether you are a side or back sleeper, tend to stay in one position or move around or not, and whether you typically breathe through your mouth during the night.

2. An introduction to the major types of masks (full face, nasal mask, nasal pillow mask). Based on your discussions with the clinicians you should pick the type of mask to try first. But be aware that many people who think they mouth breathe learn to breathe through the nose only with CPAP because they no longer need to open the mouth to gasp for air, and the CPAP and good nasal hygiene can help clear up nasal congestion.

3. The fitting should be done LYING DOWN, in your normal sleeping position, and with the machine on at your highest pressure setting. Hopefully the clinician is knowledgeable about the various types of masks and how to fit them CORRECTLY.

You should be permitted to try on as many masks as you need to find one that is comfortable and leak free in your normal sleeping position.

BTW, they gave you a dinosaur of a machine. Am I reading that the one you have is just temporary? Hopefully that is the case. Something smells!

The model you have is discontinued. When you deal with a DME that is "right next door" to your sleep clinic, your suspicions should be aroused that the sleep clinic has a financial interest in the DME and therefore a conflict of interest. You want the best and newest equipment (since you'll be stuck with the machine for 5 years or more) but the DME wants to give you the least expensive equipment to maximize profits. And now so does your sleep clinic.