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Large Leaks and AHI
#1
Large Leaks and AHI
Last 2 nights SleepyHead reported "significant periods of major mask leakage". For about a month, I did not have any reported, and now it's 2 in a row. Not sure what's going on. The only thing that has changed is that I am apparently getting more uninterrupted sleep, as I'm getting more and more used to the treatment (which is good). Am I possibly getting the mask partially out of position, as I am more comfortable turning in bed freely?

SleepyHead event flags show, if I'm reading this correctly, 3 major leak events, for the total of about 5.5 minutes. Do these contribute to the SleepyHead calculation of the overall AHI? My AHI, always below 1, is now over 1 these last 2 nights.

Here's my last night's report:

[Image: OZulfkJ.png]
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#2
RE: Large Leaks and AHI
Have the leaks gone away ? I would not worry about your leaks or AHI numbers.

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#3
RE: Large Leaks and AHI
(02-16-2017, 07:23 PM)kwhenrykerr Wrote: Have the leaks gone away ? I would not worry about your leaks or AHI numbers.

Yes, they are gone. My mask must have gone slightly out of position, as I was turning in bed. It happened for 2 nights in a row, and that's why I got a little nervous, but even then my AHI was very good. It's all back to normal now.
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#4
RE: Large Leaks and AHI
Last night, huge leaks again. Looks like they lasted for about 40 minutes, without waking me up.

I am using 2 different sizes of P10 pillows, small and medium. All 3 times I had these leaks, it happened with medium. Is that possibly the problem?

Being a side sleeper, I am guessing that the headgear gets out of position, as my head presses against the pillow, slightly pulling P10 pillows out, good enough to cause the leak.

Here's my last night's SH report:

[Image: cR62zPE.png]
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#5
RE: Large Leaks and AHI
A 1.31 and a 1.34 are pretty decent numbers.

Any ideas on what is causing the leaks for you? What kinds of masks have you tried?
                                                                                                                          
Note: I'm an epidemiologist, not a medical provider. 
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#6
RE: Large Leaks and AHI
(02-18-2017, 05:24 PM)Beej Wrote: Any ideas on what is causing the leaks for you?

That is what I would like to know. The only mask I'm using is P10 nasal pillows. But like I said, I'm using 2 different sizes, small and medium. These leaks only happened with medium pillows, 3 times within the last 6 days, and never before (34 days of therapy). Maybe I should just stick to small.

By the way, 1.31 and 1.34 are among the worst I've seen. Typically, I am way below 1.
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#7
RE: Large Leaks and AHI
Your major leak above looks to me like a mouth leak. You might want to try a chin strap or a full face mask.

Best Regards,

PaytonA

Admin Note:
PaytonA passed away in September 2017
Click HERE to read his Memorial Thread

~ Rest in Peace ~
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#8
RE: Large Leaks and AHI
If it is mouth leak, I'd expect to see them every night, more or less. The first 28 days of my therapy, not a single one, and now 3 in the last 6 days. The first 2 of those did not last long at all (a few minutes only). This last one was really major.

I am still suspecting it is the pillows slipping out of position as I turn in bed. Again, it never happened with S size (not yet anyway), only with M size. Have any of you experienced leaks due to improper nasal pillow size?
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#9
RE: Large Leaks and AHI
I had a similar pattern using a nasal mask - it was fine, no leaks for several months. then I started waking with a dry mouth, and the leak graph showed long periods of flat-topped excessive leakage. I ended up switching to the Amara View that I still use.
I suspect that I got more comfortable sleeping and eventually my chin started dropping open.
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#10
RE: Large Leaks and AHI
(02-18-2017, 10:44 PM)pholynyk Wrote: I had a similar pattern using a nasal mask - it was fine, no leaks for several months. then I started waking with a dry mouth, and the leak graph showed long periods of flat-topped excessive leakage. I ended up switching to the Amara View that I still use.
I suspect that I got more comfortable sleeping and eventually my chin started dropping open.

Now that you mention it, getting more comfortable could be the cause I'm afraid. On a few occasions, I did wake up with a dry mouth, but no leaks were reported in SleepyHead.

Last night's report shows roughly around 40 minutes of large leaks, yet I did not feel any dry mouth. I was hoping it was that my P10 mask slipped slightly, but in that case the hissing sound of air leakage should have disturbed my sleep, and it didn't.

I hate the idea of potentially having to go to FF mask. Oh-jeez If I have to, I'd rather give a chin strap a try. Are they any good?
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