Dreamwear mask vs. Nasal Mask Pressure

[The Professor]

If the CPAP machine is set to 10 cm will a regular nasal mask delivery 10 cm to the patient or is there a pressure drop in the mask?

Same CPAP machine set to 10 cm but with a DreamWear mask, will the DreamWear mask delivery 10 cm, or is there a pressure drop in it?  

Basically, which mask will have a higher pressure drop?

Thank you,

[Crimson Nape]

All CPAP's of current manufacture have a settable parameter to adjust for volumetric differences between a Full Face, Nasal, and Pillows style masks.   Most have a setting to select between a slimline and full size hose as well.

[Crimson Nape]

After thinking more about your question, I wanted to add the following.  

The pressure, 10cm in your question, is measured as a back pressure.  When you inhale the CPAP senses the pressure drop and increases the blower to maintain the required pressure.  The heart of the CPAP is a blower design and sensor that are capable of almost instantaneous pressure response.  The blower's size has to be larger than actually required to be certified to supply and maintain pressures up to 20cm in a CPAP and 25cm in a BiPAP reliably.  

Your question leads me to believe that you are concerned about pressure drop at the mask.  Even if there is a pressure drop, you're basically using the pressure number as a reference point for your therapy.  The recorded sleep data results would include any pressure drop at the mask.  For a straight CPAP,  you would be making any further pressure adjustments based on your current pressure number, thus negating any pressure drop at the mask..

A variable pressure CPAP, or Auto, model uses the flow rates and pressure patterns along with their waveforms to determine a pressure that will best address your current need.  Again, since the patterns and waveforms are based on the user's response to the indicated pressure, the mask pressure drop would be included in the data as well.  The resultant pressure change made by the CPAP would render the pressure drop at the mask as insignificant.

I hope this addresses your concerns.

[The Professor]

Does changing the type of mask on the machine change the pressure delivered to the patient?

When I went to a dream wear mask from a regular nasal mask, should I have changed the setting from nasal mask to nasal pillows?

My concern is that too much pressure was delivered to me when I changed from a nasal mask to the dream wear mask as I did not make any other changes to the machine when changing mask types.

Thank you,

[Crimson Nape]

It's the same pressure. It will feel differently because the pressure on a nasal and full face mask is equal on the inside and outside of the nose, whereas. a pillows mask injects the pressure directly into the inside only. This creates a pressure differential that is not present in the other 2 masks..

[NadiaK]

Glad I read this post as it is something I wondered about as well.