[CPAP] NOISE FROM MASK

[Bruce Palmer]

Hi all--I have a Phillips Respironics System one Remstar CPAP machine and I now have 2 Resmed Mirage Activa LT face masks. The masks seem to be identical, but one of them is quite noisy, and the other one is almost silent. Both seem to work well, the silent one perhaps a bit better and it shows 0 major leaks in the info log. I could just use the silent one, but I'm a little worried that it is too silent--and that I may not be getting enough air--although I don't have any symptoms. I do need them both, because I have a second CPAP machine in a different location. I do not know what the deal is--how silent it is supposed to be?...and what is wrong with the noisy one. Does anyone have any experience with this question of noisy masks, or any understanding of the problem I'm having?

[Airstream]

Hello and welcome to the board!
My first thought would be to check the elbow and vent on the front of the mask to make sure it's snapped in correctly.
Here is what ResMed says to check:
Mask is too noisy
Cushion clip is not inserted correctly- Check that the cushion clip is correctly inserted into the cushion, and that the cushion is correctly clipped to the frame.
Ports cap or elbow incorrectly inserted- Check the the ports cap and elbow are correctly inserted.
Vents are blocked or partially blocked- Clean vents according to instructions.

[trish6hundred]

Hi Bruce,
WELCOME! to the forum.!
What Airstream said.
Hang in there for more suggestions and best of luck to you.

[zonk]

Hi Bruce and welcome aboard
The Activa LT is very quiet, at times I had to put my hand in front of the mask to feel the air coming out of the exhaust vents
I would check the grey piece that fit inside the hose is not missing and cushion clip snapped properly. clean the vents holes with an old tooth brush and make sure the mask assembled as shown

Assembly instructions http://www.resmed.com/us/assets/multimed...50x300.swf

Mirage Activa LT http://www.resmed.com/us/products/mirage...c=patients

[Bruce Palmer]

Thanks. I couldn't figure out how to remove the elbow. How much noise does a properly set up up mask and machine make? I realized this is subjective...a lot, a little...or almost silent?

[justMongo]

Also check at the elbow. There is a little flapper valve and vent there. When positive pressure is applied the flapper valve closes and seals a fairly large vent hole. When you first put the mask on, and the machine is off, that flapper valve lets you breath through that vent hole. (I could photograph it and post it if need be.) Make sure that flapper is in place and seals.

I use the ResMed Mirage Quattro FF mask; and the mask itself is very quiet. I can feel air from the normal vents that permit exhaled breathe to purge from the mask. My S8 machine is also quit quiet. Now, my O2 concentrator is noisy; so I start the night with over the ear headphones on.

[eviltim]

Does the noisy one leak? That's pretty odd if not. I haven't had a mask I would describe as 'loud' except when there were leaks. Most of the noise comes from the machine itself.

[Bruce Palmer]

Also check at the elbow. There is a little flapper valve and vent there. When positive pressure is applied the flapper valve closes and seals a fairly large vent hole. When you first put the mask on, and the machine is off, that flapper valve lets you breath through that vent hole. (I could photograph it and post it if need be.) Make sure that flapper is in place and seals.

I use the ResMed Mirage Quattro FF mask; and the mask itself is very quiet. I can feel air from the normal vents that permit exhaled breathe to purge from the mask. My S8 machine is also quit quiet. Now, my O2 concentrator is noisy; so I start the night with over the ear headphones on.

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Hi Mongo--thanks for your thoughts. I don't seem to have a "flapper" valve on my mask (either one of them). If you could take pics of yours I'd really appreciate it.

Best,

Bruce

[Bruce Palmer]

Does the noisy one leak? That's pretty odd if not. I haven't had a mask I would describe as 'loud' except when there were leaks. Most of the noise comes from the machine itself.

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Hi Evil Tim...The one that is quiet reports 0% leakage in the info report. The one that makes noise reports about 80-90% large leaks...so I guess it does leak.

[eviltim]

Bruce, sounds like that's your problem. May need to tighten up little (although tightening too much can also cause leaks and other discomfort), consider a mask liner or cushion replacement on your leaky mask.