Do nasal pillows work better at keeping sinuses open?

I am thinking about renaming my dog PITA

Oh well...

-tino

A.T., I use the Aloha with warm moist air and it does help keep my nasal passaes open. If you had an S9 I'd say RUN don't walk to your DME and get the Climateline hose. When I was on the tail end of a bad cold recently (my first since starting PAP) I turned the temp up to 84 or so, and the humidification up to 4.5, and I was able to breathe and sleep through the night. I wouldn't say the nasal pillows "blast" but the air flow going directly into the nose does seem to help keep nasal passages open.

And the Aloha has larger airflow holes in the pillows than some of the other nasal pillow masks -- that helps too.

Pugsy wrote: You can look on the bottom of the machine for the 3 digit model number.

Pugsy,
The number is 550P, so not a 60 series.
I also have the Hybernite 2300, but since I can't control the temp (or don't think I can) I never adapted to what I perceived as a scorched feeling in my trachea and lungs.

Asked for the Lansinoh at CVS and the lady at the counter looked at me sort of funny--then I said that I use a CPAP and wanted it for my nose--then she make a call for customer service and a really big guy came over.

kaiasgram wrote:A.T., I use the Aloha with warm moist air and it does help keep my nasal passaes open. If you had an S9 I'd say RUN don't walk to your DME and get the Climateline hose. When I was on the tail end of a bad cold recently (my first since starting PAP) I turned the temp up to 84 or so, and the humidification up to 4.5, and I was able to breathe and sleep through the night. I wouldn't say the nasal pillows "blast" but the air flow going directly into the nose does seem to help keep nasal passages open.

And the Aloha has larger airflow holes in the pillows than some of the other nasal pillow masks -- that helps too.

This is probably asking too much of the sleep doc, but can he rewrite the script for an S9, or 60 series PR, so I can add in a heated hose with thermostat? Or is that an unreasonable request in the eyes of Medicare?

Off to the testing grounds to assemble the Aloha.
A special thanks to everyone for all of the input.

Always tired wrote:I also have the Hybernite 2300, but since I can't control the temp (or don't think I can) I never adapted to what I perceived as a scorched feeling in my trachea and lungs.

No can't adjust the temp on the Hybernite. It's either on or off. You aren't using a hose cozy are you?
I didn't find that the air was too warm for me but then again my bedroom is like 50 degrees at night during the winter when it's cold outside...so maybe it just warmed the cold air just right for me.

Pugsy wrote:You aren't using a hose cozy are you?

pugsy,
No I'm not using a cover on the Hybernite just on my regular hose.

Got the Ahoha all ready to go and per your suggestion it is a very loose fit. No piggy nose or nose wrinkles:)

Wish Congress could work as fast as this thread did.
A T

Well I don't know what to tell you about the too warm air with the Hybernite. I did have it feel too warm when I had the hose under the covers but not when it was naked and out from underneath the bedding.
If I touched the hose itself it didn't even feel warm to the touch.

Good luck on the Aloha tonight. Hope you like it. I think that most people who try it find that they like it.

How did it go?

Pugsy wrote:Good luck on the Aloha tonight. Hope you like it. I think that most people who try it find that they like it.

Thanks to everyone for your input.
Did well with the Aloha last night and noticed that with pillows you can do amazing things--like scratch your nose, or put on your glasses.
No OSA and the centrals were cut in half, also far less anxiety with the Aloha vs the Swift FX OR the Eson.
Never really noticed the left side stuffy nose thing as the air kept going through. Also the lotion really helped.
All in all a good product, now I need to get to work on a better chin strap as I had a lot of mouth breathing.

I can't tape because of a beard--and my chin strap (can't remember the name) but it's the blue one with the stitched in V slides around too much.

Any suggestions from members re chin straps with the Aloha would be appreciated.

Pugsy wrote:I did have it feel too warm when I had the hose under the covers

Have not tried the Hybernite in several months, but when I did it was always buried in the covers--will try on top of the covers.

Always tired wrote:Have not tried the Hybernite in several months, but when I did it was always buried in the covers--will try on top of the covers.

Ahh, I bet that was the problem. Let me know if it is still too warm with it on top of the covers.
Under the covers..yeah, it was like trying to breath in a sauna. Way too warm for comfort.
The instructions say no hose cozy and putting it under the covers acts like a hose cozy.

Glad your Aloha experience went well.

AT; it sounds like you have the Sullivan chinstrap from ResMed.
Mine slid all over, too, until I took the scissors to it.
I put it on, and made a sharpie dot about an inch above each ear. (on the strap--not my head)
I then SPLIT each strap down the middle from the end down to the dot.
This made TWO skinny straps, one of which can go forward and the other backward,
on either side of the roundish part of my noggin. Now it doesn't slip.

chunkyfrog wrote:AT; it sounds like you have the Sullivan chinstrap from ResMed.
Mine slid all over, too, until I took the scissors to it.
I put it on, and made a sharpie dot about an inch above each ear. (on the strap--not my head)
I then SPLIT each strap down the middle from the end down to the dot.
This made TWO skinny straps, one of which can go forward and the other backward,
on either side of the roundish part of my noggin. Now it doesn't slip.

WOW! Wish I'd thought of that when I was using it, that thing drove me nuts trying to get it to hold up without pulling back too much and it always slid around.

Congrats on the success. Took you long enough to jump on the pillow bandwagon

chunkyfrog wrote:AT; it sounds like you have the Sullivan chinstrap from ResMed.
Mine slid all over, too, until I took the scissors to it.
I put it on, and made a sharpie dot about an inch above each ear. (on the strap--not my head)
I then SPLIT each strap down the middle from the end down to the dot.
This made TWO skinny straps, one of which can go forward and the other backward,
on either side of the roundish part of my noggin. Now it doesn't slip.

Well I'll be dipped!
It works like a charm and a great tip for all.
Thanks
A T

For clarity, note that the several sinus cavities are not in your breathing passages, they are in your upper cheek and above. Many people in this thread are using the term incorrectly, ‘khauser’ is correct.

You want to keep your nose passages from getting stuffed up – that may come from sinus drainage.
They are subject to the extra pressure of CPAP, which perhaps could partly impede drainage during the night thus lead to nose stuffiness in the morning as they drain.
CPAP pressure will bulge your nose sides out, I don’t know if that helps breathing.

Nasal interfaces should not be used if you are prone to nose stuffiness.

Humidity is very good, there are threads about it in this forum. It is popularly believed that humidity is good for the sinuses, it makes sense as helps prevent dryness. I had my sinus passages cleared out due chronic infection and to be able to use nasal CPAP. (Had nose passages improved while were were at it, to reduce occurrence of nose stuffiness.)

My evaluation of research is that I should use all I can get. (So I wrap the hose to maximize amount without condensation, and if the room will be quite cool I add a portable heater a couple of feet from the CPAP pump) inlet. Newer/fancier machine heat the hose of course.

I understand that the problem with mouth breathing is that it does not moisturize the nose.