Solutions for face itching and flapping cushion?
Good day to all
While I have greatly improved my sleep thanks to the great advises from this forum (setting the the low pressure at 90% of the med, EPR Full time at 2, and SCC on), I have 2 things I would like to work on, as I feel those are triggering some repetitive short sleep interruptions :
1-itching nose and cheeks : I believe that before the CPAP, I scratched my face without waking up; but now, as I have a full facial mask, when my nose or cheeks are itching, I wake up and pull the mask with one hand and scratch with the other one
2-flapping mask cushion (not sure about my English here) : some time, I wake up as the cushion of my mask is flapping against my face. While my mask is well positionned when I go to bed and most of the night(no leaks happening while pressure goes up) the mask probably sometimes moves a bit and creates a small place where the air leaks fast which makes the cushion flap
I feel that eliminating those 2 things would be another great improvement of my sleep quality. Has any of you experienced that? Did you find good solutions to fix this?
Thanks a lot
Pierre
RE: Solutions for face itching and flapping cushion?
I don't mean to rain on your parade, but I don't think there's a viable solution to either of your issues.
I wear a full face mask and my face itches at times and all that I can do is to respond to it. In regards to a mask, I would tend to think they all leak to some degree or another.
I'm a mouth-breather as well as a side-sleeper. My mask (ResMed AirFit F30) does a pretty good job at sealing, but it's not leak proof by any means.
RE: Solutions for face itching and flapping cushion?
Thanks Big Guy
As I found out how rich in term of solutions this forum is, this was an attempt, in case my issues are also other's issues, to leverage their dealing with them.
Have a good sleep!
RE: Solutions for face itching and flapping cushion?
Some masks irritate and/or leak more or less than others. There's manufactured cloth pieces you can place under the mask or make your own out of something like a t shirt. Masks though are rather particular, and they're not all the same fit or size. You may need a different mask type brand, or model to see if you can get a better working one for you.
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RE: Solutions for face itching and flapping cushion?
Hello Pierre-though I just joined this forum tonight, I’ve been on cpap therapy for almost 2 years. During that time the one thing that consistently has plagued my sleep is being awakened by itchy nose and face. I’ve tried 6 masks trying to find the “right” one. With most of them I tried cloth liners. They helped some, especially to minimize sweat-related itches.
I realized almost a year in there is no perfect mask for me, only one I can live with. The following suggestions come from other posters on another website and have helped me manage:
-trim your nose hairs—this helps me quite a bit
-rub skin with dry washcloth where cushion rests just before placing mask plus blow and wipe nose even if you don’t need to
-moisturize in the morning and use mild hypoallergenic facial soap before bed and gently pat face dry
-experiment with temperature and humidity settings. for me cold air and lower humidity work best
-for one handed scratching use a crochet hook to slip under cushion to get at itch
Not sure what to say about flapping cushion. If you’re a side sleeper perhaps a cpap pillow would help keep mask in place.
Bon chance!