Exhalation ports are too noisy for spouse!

I've been trying out 3 masks.

The comfort gel blue nasal mask, So far the quietest mask I have, the exhaust ports ar not too bad.

The quatro FX full face mask, exhaust ports are noisier than comfort gel, though not as noisy as the leaks! Also if you are a forehead feeder(tube comes from your forehead/behind you) then the exhaust port on the mask, not the tube swivel section, hits the tube and makes quite the racket...

The swift FX nasal pillow is almost my favorite for what's on your face and working with my ZEO. Though it's exhaust ports are much noisier than the other two masks. It also seems to irritate the edge of my nose...

Scott

Yeah, some masks are just too noisy. They are not broken or defective, just the exhalation ports are too noisy. I tried a mojo once and it was so noisy I had to quit right then.

While waiting for my mammogram today, I met a lady who quit using her cpap because of the exhaust bothering her husband.
I urged her to check this forum and cpap.com; as well as hanging her hose up---(I hope she does; nice girl.)

If it's too noisy then you have a bad fit or old equipment.

LOL. Eliminate noise by adding noise? Sorry but I can't do white noise. I already have debilitating Tinnitus and I need ear plugs so that I don't hear the annoying whistle every time I exhale with the FP Icon. There is a high pitched whine from the motor with every breath and although it isn't super loud I am sensitive to noise and it drives me insane. With the earplugs I don't hear the whistle "quite as much" but the Tinnitus is amplified so it is a lose-lose situation.

Most nights I have to pull off the mask and throw it.

I am going crazy trying to find silence which has eluded me for 8 years now.

Does your mask/hose attachment, where the exhalation ports are, rotate? My hose gets routed up over my head, partially to change the direction the air from the ports travels.

nicola wrote:I am going crazy trying to find silence which has eluded me for 8 years now.

You are not alone for sure. Sounds pretty much like me, the its been longer than 8 years.

herefishy has a good point. Even though its not obvious, but the Mask you have can make the unit itself more quite vs other masks. And the Masks also can make considerable noise. Fortunately my DME Provider lets me get a new Mack every 6 months. They last longer than that so I try out several of them. So Far the Full Face Masks are the least noisy, both at the Mask and for the machine itself. The Nose pillows are the worst.

The Machine itself also makes a Difference. I have the PR System one, as does my wife. Her's with my mask sounds different than mine. Her's is 2 years newer though. The Humidifier tray seems to be the source of the noise on both. If you don't have a Humidifier, it does make a difference (filled or not) on the noise of the unit.

Hope you get relief soon.

My favorite mask of ALL TIME is my P10, which has MESH instead of holes (reeds) for exhaust.
The mesh works like the inside of a car muffler, silencing exhaust noise pretty well.
This mask has been around for over a year, and it is a blessing.
The Sleepweaver cloth masks are very quiet as well.

With the high pressures I use (around 20cm H20), my mask would be making some serious noises, but I have made modifications to it and it's very quiet now. This isn't for everyone because it takes quite a bit of fabrication skills, but it can be done. The idea is to intercept the air stream at its highest speed (tightest opening) and gradually expand it at the exhaust. I've achieved that with my Breeze by covering the vent with an air chamber and widening and extending the airway with a tunnel up the stem of the mask. My machine is also sitting on a foam pad inside the beside drawer where the blower motor sound is barely perceptible, and now the only sound comes from the occasional leaks around the nasal pillows (that's a subject for another post). I still wear earplugs and a facial mask because of the leaks, but there are no more air jets blowing around.
McSleepy

Disclaimer: I have been a hosehead for a grand total of two days.

I have been using the P10 mask and I am quite fond of how quiet it is. Most of the time when I hear it I'm somewhere between 4-7 on the pressure. I can compare it to my fathers growing up and his was very noisy. I hope my nose can adjust to how it fits. I have been sore for the last two days from it.

nicola wrote:LOL. Eliminate noise by adding noise? Sorry but I can't do white noise. I already have debilitating Tinnitus and I need ear plugs so that I don't hear the annoying whistle every time I exhale with the FP Icon. There is a high pitched whine from the motor with every breath and although it isn't super loud I am sensitive to noise and it drives me insane. With the earplugs I don't hear the whistle "quite as much" but the Tinnitus is amplified so it is a lose-lose situation.

Most nights I have to pull off the mask and throw it.

I am going crazy trying to find silence which has eluded me for 8 years now.

Old, old original post, but my vote is: http://www.macksearplugs.com/details/ea ... pair-value

the silicone ones...very comfortable Good to hear you're using them, nicola.

Exhaust vents with lots of little holes are going to make less noise. It diffuses the air. So look to try one with multiple small holes in the exhaust. The loudest mask I have ever heard was a nasal mask with just one exhaust hole.

Also, I added a hose cover. It seems to muffle breathing noises. I resisted because I didn't care about it being soft, and I have a heated hose. But it has been helpful reducing noise.

Also you can try moving your CPAP lower than the surface of the bed. I put a shelf board between my boxspring and bedframe. It hangs out just enough for the CPAP. I put Velcro on the bottom of the CPAP to make sure it didn't fall off. It greatly reduced the noise of the CPAP machine. I know this doesn't help with mask noise, but I have appreciated any noise reduction.

My husband doesn't complain about the noise at all now. He actually, to his credit never did. I worried about it though.

I am also going to try the Phillips dreamwear mask. I am curious if it might help with the blowing air issue. I don't like it blowing on me, so I am sure my husband doesn't either.

Good Luck! At first the noise really bothered me, but now because of making small changes and getting used to it, it doesn't disturb either of us.

nikroft wrote:Disclaimer: I have been a hosehead for a grand total of two days.

I have been using the P10 mask and I am quite fond of how quiet it is. Most of the time when I hear it I'm somewhere between 4-7 on the pressure. I can compare it to my fathers growing up and his was very noisy. I hope my nose can adjust to how it fits. I have been sore for the last two days from it.

Make sure your humidifier is set high enough, and get some Lansinoh (breast feading nipple ointment) from the drug store. Apply a very tiny amount to the napes of your nose. And, yes, your nose will toughen up within a few weeks. Also, wear the mask as loosely as possible with one strap on top of your head and one on the back. It will loosen to a perfect fit over time. Before you know it, you will be laying on your side with your mask partly in the pillow, and not experiencing any discomfort.