Full face mask suggestions?
Sorry if this has been asked before, I did a lot of searching before asking... Does anyone have any suggestions or ideas for a full face mask that doesn't leak? I apparently have an odd shaped face or bone structure, after 15 years and trying more masks from all of the common manufacturers than I can count, and have yet to find a mask that will hold a seal on my face. I've found a few common resmed and phillips masks that seem fine at first (and when sitting upright with a "professional" for a fitting if I go that route) but end up with leaks fairly quickly, often large enough to wake me and/or my wife. I've tried expensive masks, cheap masks, gel insert masks... And the "full face nasal pillow" masks cause severe irritation on my nose and occasionally will even actually "pop out," possibly because of a number of broken noses/surgeries/very limited airflow through my nose and relatively high pressure I require.
It almost seems as if perhaps my upper cheekbones protrude a little allowing a pivot point on the mask, and once I move a little (head or mouth) I end up with a leak, usually on the lower side of the mask. (I also seem to be kind of an in-between size of large/xl, but have the same problem regardless of size.)
It seems any (solid) mask that covers the nose and mouth has the same pivoting issue.
I'm currently using one of the neoprene full face masks (at least when it leaks its not loud) but it likes to leak on the upper side shooting air onto my eyelids/eyes, so its obviously not a real solution either.
(If I severely over-tighten a mask it won't leak, but then I typically wake up with a migraine from the pressure on my head all night and spend the day with a red outline of where the mask was.)
I'm about to the point where I try melting a slight bend in some old masks to see if that helps...
RE: Full face mask suggestions?
I just switched to a Resmed Airfit F30 full face hybrid which has been very succesful and comfortable. I have high cheek bones and with some other masks I would get irritation around my nose.
02-25-2019, 05:37 AM
(This post was last modified: 02-25-2019, 05:42 AM by indole.
Edit Reason: only small/medium
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RE: Full face mask suggestions?
(02-25-2019, 05:28 AM)car54 Wrote: I just switched to a Resmed Airfit F30 full face hybrid which has been very succesful and comfortable. I have high cheek bones and with some other masks I would get irritation around my nose.
Not one I've tried or seen, but looks and sounds like it could work. Thanks for the direction, I'll give it a try!
Edit: Only comes in small and medium... Being normally between large/xl, I don't know if it would work. Seems the right concept though.
RE: Full face mask suggestions?
I would suggest never to try a mask sitting up. (unless you sleep sitting up) I might suggest using a medical tape and tape your mouth and try a P10 pillow mask. It would also be best to post a Sleepyhead chart as one could see your leak rates and pressures.
RE: Full face mask suggestions?
(02-25-2019, 07:24 AM)michael9346 Wrote: I would suggest never to try a mask sitting up. (unless you sleep sitting up) I might suggest using a medical tape and tape your mouth and try a P10 pillow mask. It would also be best to post a Sleepyhead chart as one could see your leak rates and pressures.
The testing a mask while sitting up is how every "professional" place I went to in the past has fitted various masks (actually one did have me briefly lay on the floor, it amazes me what passes as "professional" / recommended by doctors. It became obvious to me long ago it wasn't the way to do it, part of what led me to just ordering online and trying different kinds/styles.
Nasal pillow is out of the question, I have about 20% airflow through my nose (on a good day) which doesn't provide enough air to my lungs even resting so I unfortunately need to breathe at least some through my mouth.
I'll look into Sleepyhead later, I'm not even sure offhand which make/model my cpap is, I've not used any software with it before but should be able to. Now that the sun is up, my DSPS and Narcolepsy are saying sleep.
02-25-2019, 08:24 AM
(This post was last modified: 02-25-2019, 09:01 AM by Fats Drywaller.
Edit Reason: corrected URLs, botched first time around
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RE: Full face mask suggestions?
Coincidentally, there's another current discussion here on somewhat the same topic, and it seems like a hybrid mask might be what you need. Hybrid covers mouth and nostrils without covering most of the nose.
http://www.apneaboard.com/forums/Thread-...ded-for-it
See examples at:
https://www.sleepapnea.com/products/mask...rview.html
https://www.resmed.com/us/en/consumer/pr...berty.html
P.S.: Also Airfit F30 as car54 suggested:
https://www.resmed.com/us/en/consumer/pr...t-f30.html
RE: Full face mask suggestions?
The best mask for you is the one that works for you, not me.
I think that you already figured that one out. Read the Mask Primer if you haven't done that already.
As you already found out, you can quickly figure out a mask will not work while you are upright, but you can only figure out if it works by lying down in sleeping position. Even then your face relaxes when you fall asleep so even that is not a guarantee.
I like to hand hold my masks without using the straps when fitting. That allows you to move the mask around a little. If you move it a little and find that it only works when you hold it in place with a 20-pound sandbag to stop leaks, well, that mask isn't for you. Once I find a mask that fits my face by hand I adjust the straps to match the feel of the hand held mask.
As I said try the Mask Primer.
