puffy eye

I have now been on bipap machine for 3 months and my eyes are still troubling me (one eye in particular) my mask is not leaking so it is thought that air is getting into my tear duct. Has anyone else experienced this? The situation is getting me down. I have had the pressure reduced with little improvement and am now trialing an automatic machine, this has shown improvement but my eyes still look and feel as if I've been crying for days.
I am currently using a Respironics Remstar Auto A-Flex and am alternating between a Mirage Quattro and a nasal pillow mask. I have also read that the pressure can build up behind the eyes and cause Glaucoma, I'm certainly hoping that this is not the case. Any help or advice would be appreciated. Thanks, Trish

Try not using the quattro for a week and see if that helps, I find if I use mine it seems to push on the bottom of my eye and casue puffyness. I also now use Genteal gel eye drops, it tends to add a layer of protection to my eye and stop any air from causing puffy or dry eyes. It only costs $10 for a cheap experiment.

Kiah wrote:I have now been on bipap machine for 3 months and my eyes are still troubling me (one eye in particular) my mask is not leaking so it is thought that air is getting into my tear duct. Has anyone else experienced this? The situation is getting me down. I have had the pressure reduced with little improvement and am now trialing an automatic machine, this has shown improvement but my eyes still look and feel as if I've been crying for days.
I am currently using a Respironics Remstar Auto A-Flex and am alternating between a Mirage Quattro and a nasal pillow mask.

I too have suffered the air-in-eyes through the tear ducts. And it is extremely uncomfortable. A pressure reduction has largely eliminated the problem for me, but I do find that I still occasionally have to press down on the corner of my eye to stop this sensation. Usually after a couple of minutes or so, it gets a bit better and I can sleep.

I have also read that the pressure can build up behind the eyes and cause Glaucoma, I'm certainly hoping that this is not the case. Any help or advice would be appreciated. Thanks, Trish

PLEASE tell me where you have read this information!!! It is critically important to me because this past summer at my annual eye exam the eye doctor told me that he saw some ominous changes in my optic nerves and my eye pressure is now at the high end of normal. So I am officially a glaucoma suspect and have a follow up eye exam scheduled for November to see if there are further changes to my optic nerve and/or eye pressure. This eye exam took place about 9 1/2 months after I started xPAP therapy. My previous eye exam, which was a couple of months before starting xPAP therapy, showed nothing suggestive of glaucoma. And glaucoma does NOT run in my family and I'm only 53.

Sorry I can't tell you where I saw the references to glaucoma brought on by CPAP use . It was whileI was browsing through any sites that showed side effects of CPAP use. I will start looking again for you and let you know if I can find again. Sorry to hear your story.

Hi Robysue, If you go to cpaptalk.com and search with the words CPAP/glaucoma it will take you to posts that address your problem Good Luck Trish

I had this problem after the first night...woke up with my eyes so irritated I felt like I had grit in them and they were puffy! I'm so new at this I wasn't sure what was going on, but figured it must be leaks, although I couldn't really tell there was that much leak happening, at least while I was awake. I'm not sure what kind of mask you are using, but a few days afterward I read in someone's post about the letting the cushion fill up with air BEFORE tightening the straps to your face...tried that...problem gone! I get a much better seal and the eyes are better!! (Well, until last night when I couldn't seem to get ANY leaks stopped!!!) I'm kinda, sorta doing this on my own...as in no DME...so no experience with various masks or how best to fit them and no one to "show" me how they should fit....it's why I love this forum!!! Good luck!!