Please help with amara view
I'm using the amara view, and am having problems. I wonder if someone could give me hints about how to use it. I'm using 4-12 cm pressure.
1. One problem is that the straps sit on the back of my head, and when I adjust them to fit when I look straight ahead, the mask is too loose
when I fold my head downward. If I adjust with head downward, it is too tight with head straight, and also pulls my head down. And when I sleep I don't think I keep my head with the same angle.
Is this always a problem with full face masks?
2. It seems there is no way to adjust the mask once pressure is on. When I get a leak or not enough air, and try to adjust by slightly moving the mask, things usually get worse. I have to stop the CPAP, take the mask off, and put it back on.
3. I was measured for a medium nose/mask. But it seems hard for me to get the mask with the hole exactly under my nostrils. Of course it is hard to see exactly what is going on, but sometimes it is really easy to breathe when the mask is on, and sometimes hard.
4. For me it seems to leak most of the time. Something like 8 l/min. After adjusting all is well, but within 30-60 minutes the leak starts. When I did the mask test with the resmed, all was well. But maybe I should do a test every time I put the mask on?
The dreamwear almost never leaked. Of course - when it did leak it was through my mouth and woke me up...
All in all it seems I don't manage to fit the mask properly. Maybe the straps aren't right? Maybe I don't place the nose properly?
Do you have any suggestions?
Thanks!
RE: Please help with amara view
Just a small update: I measured my nostrils (copied onto transparent piece of plastic), and they are slightly wider than the hole in the amara view. This means that when I have it just right a tiny bit of flow is obstructed, but if I have it a bit off-center one of the nostrils can be half covered. Maybe this is part of my problem with point 3.
RE: Please help with amara view
(09-28-2017, 09:21 PM)mltam Wrote: I'm using the amara view, and am having problems. I wonder if someone could give me hints about how to use it. I'm using 4-12 cm pressure.
1. One problem is that the straps sit on the back of my head, and when I adjust them to fit when I look straight ahead, the mask is too loose
when I fold my head downward. If I adjust with head downward, it is too tight with head straight, and also pulls my head down. And when I sleep I don't think I keep my head with the same angle.
Is this always a problem with full face masks?
2. It seems there is no way to adjust the mask once pressure is on. When I get a leak or not enough air, and try to adjust by slightly moving the mask, things usually get worse. I have to stop the CPAP, take the mask off, and put it back on.
3. I was measured for a medium nose/mask. But it seems hard for me to get the mask with the hole exactly under my nostrils. Of course it is hard to see exactly what is going on, but sometimes it is really easy to breathe when the mask is on, and sometimes hard.
4. For me it seems to leak most of the time. Something like 8 l/min. After adjusting all is well, but within 30-60 minutes the leak starts. When I did the mask test with the resmed, all was well. But maybe I should do a test every time I put the mask on?
The dreamwear almost never leaked. Of course - when it did leak it was through my mouth and woke me up...
All in all it seems I don't manage to fit the mask properly. Maybe the straps aren't right? Maybe I don't place the nose properly?
Do you have any suggestions?
Thanks!
1. sounds like a positional issue. I would suggest a loose fit soft cervical collar to help here. Mask Primer has some specific sizing parameters.
2. The Amara View fits differently than most full face masks. Review the Manufactures video on fitting this mask. Also read the Mask Primer for general hints
3. There is a fitting guide in the Mask Primer specifically for the Amara View. Basicly it is how far your nose sticks out from the upper lip. This is different from other masks. You may want to double check this.
4. I can't suggest specific tips but this sounds like it is positional. The soft cervical collar mentioned above should help here also. Should also help with your Dreamwear too.
With any mask I hand fit it under pressure than match that fitting with the straps. The Amara View also is a loose fit mask and many adjust it too tight.
Hope this helps
Fred
RE: Please help with amara view
Thank you very much! I should have done this (read the mask primer)
After a nice half hour session with my mask, adjusting carefully and exploring it, I managed a nice adjustment, and am
much less scared of it. And I used a cervical collar.
Last night was actually one of my best nights - I almost didn't wake up, and no major events.
The mask still leaked... though only 2-3 l/min. I don't actually care about leaks.. just that it works and doesn't wake me 
RE: Please help with amara view
Glad I could help.
Now a couple of general things to help you going forward.
Update your profile (UCP / User Control Panel) in the upper right corner. Please with your machine (be specific) and Mask, and settings. These provide a baseline for response to most questions.
Download SleepyHead and post your Daily Charts. We tend to be very data oriented because the detailed data from sleepyhead says a lot about what is happening during your night. Down to a breath by breath detail if needed.
My signature should point you to most of it.
Fred
RE: Please help with amara view
(09-28-2017, 09:21 PM)mltam Wrote: I'm using the amara view, and am having problems. I wonder if someone could give me hints about how to use it. I'm using 4-12 cm pressure.
1. One problem is that the straps sit on the back of my head, and when I adjust them to fit when I look straight ahead, the mask is too loose
when I fold my head downward. If I adjust with head downward, it is too tight with head straight, and also pulls my head down. And when I sleep I don't think I keep my head with the same angle.
Is this always a problem with full face masks?
2. It seems there is no way to adjust the mask once pressure is on. When I get a leak or not enough air, and try to adjust by slightly moving the mask, things usually get worse. I have to stop the CPAP, take the mask off, and put it back on.
3. I was measured for a medium nose/mask. But it seems hard for me to get the mask with the hole exactly under my nostrils. Of course it is hard to see exactly what is going on, but sometimes it is really easy to breathe when the mask is on, and sometimes hard.
4. For me it seems to leak most of the time. Something like 8 l/min. After adjusting all is well, but within 30-60 minutes the leak starts. When I did the mask test with the resmed, all was well. But maybe I should do a test every time I put the mask on?
The dreamwear almost never leaked. Of course - when it did leak it was through my mouth and woke me up...
All in all it seems I don't manage to fit the mask properly. Maybe the straps aren't right? Maybe I don't place the nose properly?
Do you have any suggestions?
Thanks!
I would try bumping up your minimum pressure from 4 to 6. Many people, myself included, have difficulty breathing at only 4. It can feel like you are suffocating. 6 is much more comfortable.
RE: Please help with amara view
(09-28-2017, 10:17 PM)bonjour Wrote: 3. There is a fitting guide in the Mask Primer specifically for the Amara View. Basicly it is how far your nose sticks out from the upper lip. This is different from other masks. You may want to double check this.
I can't find this fitting guide. I did find the sizing guide PDF.
On the mask primer I didn't find a section about the amara view, just the place saying that it is special.
Using the sizing aparatus on my nose, I'm just on the boundary between L and M, but with the mask I feel my nose is squished from the front. So I think I might try the large size.
RE: Please help with amara view
Just an update. I got the L sized amara view, and things are like magic!
No leaks, almost no events (I hardly see any CAs...).
The effect are actually much larger than I expected. I somehow suspect it wasn't just the size of the mask, but also something else...
maybe the mask is from a different batch, and thus stiffer? I'm not sure, and for now I don't care.
The mask definitely fits me better - I can breathe more easily, because my nostrils aren't covered, and my nose isn't
squished.
So, I'd recommend: when getting an amara view, check nostril placement vs size of hole, and if you are on the boundary between
M and L, think about going for L.
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