Beard with a full mask AirTouch F20 resmed

[Slopey]

Hi

Very new to all of this.  I bought a used ResMed 10 machine and went with the full face mask (AirTouch ResMed F20) as I am an open mouth sleeper ( I think I am, my beard and pillow are typically damp in the morning , sorry if this is TMI)

The machine says the seal is not good.  I have a full beard.  When the mask is on tight and I put my hand over the hole, its not air tight but I have to breath in or out very very hard and would definitely suffocate if left in place with the hole blocked off.  Is this good enough?  I think the nose pillows wont work because I have an open mouth sleeping and I would rather not shave my beard as I have been rocking it for over 20 years and it would freak my kids out.

Im in my 3rd night using the machine.  Last night I had a sleep score of 88 from myAir.  8.3 events per hour?  I do feel better.  I am doing this because I am experiencing afib and my sleep test showed me at 70% O2 for most of the night.

Thanks in advance for any input

[ab4444]

I actually just ordered and received both an AirFit F20 and AirTouch F20 cushion to try out because like yourself, I have a tendency to start mouth breathing throughout the night. What I noticed was with the AirTouch F20 I had to crank the straps down very tight in order to maintain a somewhat decent seal against my beard. Of course though it is way tighter than it's supposed to be and the bridge of my nose hurt in the morning.

During a fit test it felt like there wasn't any air leaking, air actually was leaking through my beard. If I wet my finger and held it near the edge of the mask where it seals, I could feel a definite amount of air blowing past through. This might be the case for you where it feels like it is sealing well but it's leaking through your beard and you just can't hear it.

I believe the fit test will blast the maximum amount of pressure the machine can output in order to test the mask seal. Your settings will probably be lower than this and thus make it easier to inhale and exhale.

Your experience will vary compared to mine, my beard is very thick and coarse and the mask just didn't work well for me. Others with beards have reported success with the AirTouch F20 though. It will probably be recommended that you change your mask to a nasal mask and to try either taping your lip shut, or using a chinstrap/soft cervical collar to keep your mouth shut if a full face mask doesn't work well. 

Finally, in order to further diagnose and figure out your data, you will need to put an SD card into your machine and download a program called OSCAR. You will need to take the SD card out and load the data from that into OSCAR which will show you much more detailed information compared to myair. Unfortunately AHI is a small part of the puzzle when it comes to good sleep; having a low AHI doesn't necessarily equate to good, quality sleep. Using OSCAR, you will be able to see how you are responding to treatment and make changes accordingly

[Slopey]

Thank you for your reply.  I appreciate it!  I may try the nose and chin strap for the difference, but I just spent like $150 between the mask and the headgear, so....I will def put in the SD card and look for that software you mentioned.  If anyone has a link, great!  If not, I am sure I can find it.

- Slopey

[ab4444]

I am also new to CPAP therapy, only getting my machine about halfway through July. It is a lot of trial and error initially, between masks, machine settings, and overall just getting used to it. Try to keep with it though and not get discouraged, the results are worth it! I'm sure others with a lot more knowledge and experience than myself will chime in 

You can download OSCAR here

https://www.sleepfiles.com/OSCAR/

And as for an SD card, you will need a regular size (not micro or mini sd) SD card that is under 16 GB for it to work with your machine. There is a rubber cover along the top of the left side that pops open, that's where the SD card is inserted. When inserted, the machine will say "preparing SD card" and that's all you need to do! After that it's just sleep, take the card out and import the data into OSCAR, then upload screenshots here for feedback

[LarsTheo]

I have found that with the AirTouch F20 cushion, I do not need to tighten the straps as tightly, especially the lower strap. If I do tighten it too tight, I will have slight pain at the top of my nose in the morning.
I recently upgraded from ResMed 9 to AirSense 11 Auto, and this machine has Bluetooth, so that I do not need an SD card.

[NorthCoastLocal]

I have been on a bipap machine for four and a half years. My pressures are relatively high which I was prescribed a more expensive bipap machine.  I too have a beard that I have warn all of my adult life and don't plan to shave it. I do keep it under a half inch in length since starting treatment to aid in mask seal. I use the F20 mask and found it to be the best of the lot I have tried. Fisher & Paykel make a couple of good ones too. I haven't found any Phillips masks that work for me. I have found that going to bed with a squeaky clean face is essential for good seal. The cushions are only good for about 30 days according to the mask instructions. I use them a bit longer usually and change them out when I see my leak rates going up. I have also found that it takes a new cushion a few nights  to "break in"  since my leak scores suffer a bit for a 2 or 3 days on a new cushion. I am a side sleeper since being on my back causes my apneas to go way up. I have found that having the right pillow is critical to good mask seal for sleeping on my side. I use two thin pillows with a soft one placed over a more firm one. This helps with keeping the pillow from pushing my mask sideways on my face which can cause leaks. When we travel on over night trips by car, I bring my home pillows along. I hope this helps. My report is based on my personal experience and isn't necessarily scientific.

Good luck with your cpap use. Once adjusted to it, you won't be able to imagine sleeping without it. 

Mike