Water leaking from face mask!
- NancyOlyWa
- Posts: 8
- Joined: Thu Oct 03, 2013 12:39 pm
- Location: Olympia, WA
Water leaking from face mask!
Please help! I have been using my cpap for about two weeks now and I had to recently switch from the nose pillow mask to a full face mask. Once or twice during the night I am awakened by water dripping out of the mask. Any advice would be greatly appreciated!!
- chunkyfrog
- Posts: 34545
- Joined: Mon Jul 12, 2010 5:10 pm
- Location: Nowhere special--this year in particular.
Re: Water leaking from face mask!
Three possible sources:
1) Rainout (condensation in the hose--lower the machine, add a hose cover, switch to a heated hose, or raise the room temperature)
2) Your breath condensing in the mask--raise the room temperature
3) perspiration inside the mask--lower the room temperature, use a mask liner, or a cloth mask.
It is also good to have a box of tissues handy, as sometimes a quick wipe-down makes it good to go
1) Rainout (condensation in the hose--lower the machine, add a hose cover, switch to a heated hose, or raise the room temperature)
2) Your breath condensing in the mask--raise the room temperature
3) perspiration inside the mask--lower the room temperature, use a mask liner, or a cloth mask.
It is also good to have a box of tissues handy, as sometimes a quick wipe-down makes it good to go
_________________
Mask: AirFit™ P10 For Her Nasal Pillow CPAP Mask with Headgear |
Additional Comments: Airsense 10 Autoset for Her |
Re: Water leaking from face mask!
Most likely moisture in the exhale air is condensing in the mask.
Moisture in the hose normally makes a terrible noise that you can't miss.
I had a little bit of that happening myself last night. In my case a few drops of water dropped out of the vent holes onto my cheek when I was laying on my side. Weather is turning cooler and our bedroom temps are dropping which cool off the air in the hose and the mask. This air has moisture coming in from the humidifier plus the moisture in our own exhaled breath. There comes a point when the air cools so much it can't hold on to the moisture and we get that condensation some where along the route from the humidifier to the face. When it happens mainly at the mask level it's usually from the added moisture in our exhaled breath.
What model machine do you have? Does it by chance have the heated hose option? If so that would be where I would start. The PR System one 60 series models have a heated hose option available. Model numbers are on the bottom of the blower unit...a 3 digit number with maybe DS or REF in front of it...if the last 2 digits are 60 then you have a 60 series machine..if the last 2 digits are 50 you have a 50 series machine.
If no heated hose option some things you can try when this happens.
Raise the bedroom temperature if you can so that the air doesn't cool as much.
Use a hose cozy to help keep the air coming from the humidifier better insulated so that it can maybe stay warm enough at the mask level to prevent the release of the moisture.
If you were using nasal pillows and this happens Padacheek has some nice barrel cozies that help. It's harder with full face masks though. Hard to wrap a cover around them effectively.
Mask liners might help absorb the condensation so it is less annoying.
I will be honest. Sometimes the heated hose or hose cozy isn't enough if bedroom temps are pretty cool for moisture at the mask level. I like a cold bedroom and I used a heated hose last night and I still had a bit of moisture. Not as much as I would have had without the heated hose though. Without the heated hose I probably would have had water in the hose too. It makes a awful racket when that happens. When I first started therapy we didn't have heated hoses except for the stand alone Aussie heated hose and it is real expensive so I battled rain out in the hose the first 2 winters I used the machine. Tried several things to alleviate it.
After last night..looks like the barrel cozy is going to have to go on to my mask.
Moisture in the hose normally makes a terrible noise that you can't miss.
I had a little bit of that happening myself last night. In my case a few drops of water dropped out of the vent holes onto my cheek when I was laying on my side. Weather is turning cooler and our bedroom temps are dropping which cool off the air in the hose and the mask. This air has moisture coming in from the humidifier plus the moisture in our own exhaled breath. There comes a point when the air cools so much it can't hold on to the moisture and we get that condensation some where along the route from the humidifier to the face. When it happens mainly at the mask level it's usually from the added moisture in our exhaled breath.
What model machine do you have? Does it by chance have the heated hose option? If so that would be where I would start. The PR System one 60 series models have a heated hose option available. Model numbers are on the bottom of the blower unit...a 3 digit number with maybe DS or REF in front of it...if the last 2 digits are 60 then you have a 60 series machine..if the last 2 digits are 50 you have a 50 series machine.
If no heated hose option some things you can try when this happens.
Raise the bedroom temperature if you can so that the air doesn't cool as much.
Use a hose cozy to help keep the air coming from the humidifier better insulated so that it can maybe stay warm enough at the mask level to prevent the release of the moisture.
If you were using nasal pillows and this happens Padacheek has some nice barrel cozies that help. It's harder with full face masks though. Hard to wrap a cover around them effectively.
Mask liners might help absorb the condensation so it is less annoying.
I will be honest. Sometimes the heated hose or hose cozy isn't enough if bedroom temps are pretty cool for moisture at the mask level. I like a cold bedroom and I used a heated hose last night and I still had a bit of moisture. Not as much as I would have had without the heated hose though. Without the heated hose I probably would have had water in the hose too. It makes a awful racket when that happens. When I first started therapy we didn't have heated hoses except for the stand alone Aussie heated hose and it is real expensive so I battled rain out in the hose the first 2 winters I used the machine. Tried several things to alleviate it.
After last night..looks like the barrel cozy is going to have to go on to my mask.
_________________
Machine: AirCurve™ 10 VAuto BiLevel Machine with HumidAir™ Heated Humidifier |
Additional Comments: Mask Bleep Eclipse https://bleepsleep.com/the-eclipse/ |
I may have to RISE but I refuse to SHINE.
- chunkyfrog
- Posts: 34545
- Joined: Mon Jul 12, 2010 5:10 pm
- Location: Nowhere special--this year in particular.
Re: Water leaking from face mask!
For a full face mask, check out a mask liner, like Pad-a-Cheek, or Rem-zzz's;
Many of the Pad-a-Cheek liners wrap around parts of the mask frame, forming a partial "cozy".
You can also cut a makeshift "gasket" out of an old t-shirt. (just don't cover the vent holes)
The liner will help wick moisture away from your face.
Just lay your cushion out and trace around it on paper, inside and out.
Now add about a half inch inside and out, and use this paper as a pattern to cut up that old t-shirt.
I have also cut liners out of Viva paper towels, microfiber remnants, and even dried out clean baby wipes.
Many of the Pad-a-Cheek liners wrap around parts of the mask frame, forming a partial "cozy".
You can also cut a makeshift "gasket" out of an old t-shirt. (just don't cover the vent holes)
The liner will help wick moisture away from your face.
Just lay your cushion out and trace around it on paper, inside and out.
Now add about a half inch inside and out, and use this paper as a pattern to cut up that old t-shirt.
I have also cut liners out of Viva paper towels, microfiber remnants, and even dried out clean baby wipes.
_________________
Mask: AirFit™ P10 For Her Nasal Pillow CPAP Mask with Headgear |
Additional Comments: Airsense 10 Autoset for Her |
Re: Water leaking from face mask!
But do make sure the machine sits level with or below your bed...