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+--- Thread: Really need help with a couple of small issues I'm having. Thanks! (/Thread-Really-need-help-with-a-couple-of-small-issues-I-m-having-Thanks)
Really need help with a couple of small issues I'm having. Thanks! - Hopingforachange - 03-12-2023
Good (but feeling tired) morning everyone,
I was really hoping to get some advice. I’ve been trying to get back into CPAP (on day 5 now) after a long break, and I’m struggling with a couple of specific things.
Placement of machine
I’m not entirely sure how to setup the CPAP machine, currently I have it on the floor next to my side of the bed. The issue is that when I’m laying on my back, there is a slight pulling of the mask and tubing towards the ground.
I think I remembered last time I tried to put it on my bedside dressed but it was similar, as the longer tube sagged down in the space between my dresser and bad.
I’ve put a picture of my current setup for reference. I would love some advice on how to fix this issue.
Minor mask leaks
The second thing that I’m having issues with is minor mask links. I currently use the nasal pillow mask, and sleep on my back. There is a small amount of air that usually leaks out of the top left, so it is blowing a small amount of air on my skin underneath my eye. This makes it a harder to relax. I’ve tightened the straps and this seems to have helped a little bit, but it still occurred last night.
My data says the mask leakage is ‘normal’ and I called the person who tracks my data and when I asked if I had mask leaks he said ‘nah not really’. Honestly I don’t even know if I’m just imagining it, if it’s the air that’s coming out of the main export area and just feels like it’s a leak, or if it’s normal and I should just get used to it.
I'd really appreciate any advice people have. Thanks guys!
RE: Really need help with a couple of small issues I'm having. Thanks! - OpalRose - 03-12-2023
Ideally, the machine should be on a nightstand level with your bed, or a little lower than your bed. Leaving it on the floor will result in the pull of the hose as you are experiencing. Some have even placed their machine in a nightstand drawer.
The hose should be routed upward from the Cpap, caught by a hose holder, then routed down to your mask. This also helps with "rainout".
Google Cpap hose holder and you'll see several options.
The air coming out of the exhalation vent is normal. Other mask leaks need to be corrected. An acceptable leak rate where it doesn't affect therapy is up to 24 litres per minute. Although even small leaks can disrupt your sleep.
You can see your leak rate on the OSCAR charts.
Check the fit of the nasal pillows. You may need to go up or down a size.
RE: Really need help with a couple of small issues I'm having. Thanks! - Sleepster - 03-12-2023
(03-12-2023, 07:00 PM)Hopingforachange Wrote: The second thing that I’m having issues with is minor mask links.
Contact your equipment supplier and see if you can try a different mask. Most masks don't fit most people. It's a process of trial and error to find one that fits well.
RE: Really need help with a couple of small issues I'm having. Thanks! - Sleeprider - 03-13-2023
Cut a 2-inch diameter hole in the back of the top or second drawer, and route the tube and power into the drawer, insert machine, and you will have a CPAP drawer that will keep the sound low and remove the appearance of the CPAP on the floor or bedside tabletop. Run the tube from the back of the bedside table over your headboard and fasten with a lanyard or tie, then down to your face. This will keep the mask and tube from pulling on your face and give you more freedom to move. Wrapping the tube in a fleece cover will make it softer and quieter. Kind of like this:
RE: Really need help with a couple of small issues I'm having. Thanks! - mesenteria - 03-13-2023
My setup:
Night table is set close to the bed.
In the top drawer, the machine sits oriented so that whichever type of hose connection it is roots the hose most directly toward the bed.
I close the drawer just enough that the hose doesn't bet bent or damaged, but enough that the innermost surfaces of the machine are kept from being yanked upward when I turn by the hose being yanked.
The hose is pulled fully across my body, but at belt level.
It is then covered with the blanket so that it is sandwiched between the blanket and the top sheet. For the most part, this keeps the hose warm(er) and helps to keep it from falling back over the edge of the bed. This is NOT foolproof, but it works about 90% of the time. Remember, the night table is right up, almost against the bed, so the space into which the hose might want to sag is minimized. The blanket does the rest.
As for mask deflection or deformation, that will have to be learned over time by finding a good pillow, how to 'punch it up' so that it keeps your head at the right angle and the mask from being pushed aside or lifted.
RE: Really need help with a couple of small issues I'm having. Thanks! - Hopingforachange - 03-13-2023
Thank you everyone for your advice.
Yup, that definitely makes sense. I'm going to look at getting a lower bedside table to put my CPAP machine on (as my current one is too high). I'm also going to buy a hose holder as that looks like it'll definitely help as well!
If I continue experiencing these small leaks I'll ask to try a different size for my nasal pillow mask. I've had the same once since I started so its probably a bit naive of me to think it fits perfectly.