Understanding what kind of leak I have

[arunjb]

Thanks again Speedster and Mike..

[multicast]

I think what muticast is saying is that if your leak rate has a quick spike, that's a leak that lasted for a short time and is likely a mask leak. But if you have a leak that plateaus for a long time, that's likely a mouth leak.

Au contraire!  In my case those plateaus are *always* mask leaks, the spiky ones *always* mask leaks.  How do I know this?  I rigorously tape my mouth - leaks occurring in this case are only mask leaks and always plateau-like. In rare occasions when I haven't shaved for two days the tape fails to seal resulting in spiky mouth leaks (and a cottonmouth as well).

See here http://www.apneaboard.com/forums/attachm...?aid=43576 for what I consider an example of mask leaks.

I' aware this contradicts common beliefs.
Mike

[arunjb]

@ arunjb - Regarding the ResMed face masks:
- F20 is an older version in which the seal goes from just above the chin and forms a triangle going up to over the bridge of the nose.
- F30 is a newer version in which the seal starts just above the chin and goes up to a cradle under the nose but not over the bridge. With the F30, the hose attaches in front.
- F30i is the same as F30 except that with the F30i the hose goes on top of your head.
- Please note these masks can leak of straps are too tight. Leak caused by seal not fully inflating, caused by straps too tight.

Hose placement is an individual thing -- some prefer in front, others on top. Also note that some (not all) users perceive the sound of air rushing through the headgear with the F30i.

In addition to the Resmed masks, there is a Phillips DreamWear full face masks.

Also there are several FFMs made by Fisher & Paykel, and some users think F&P has the best sealing technology on the market. F&Ps newest FFM is called "Evora Full." It gets generally positive reviews, though some users report leaks. This may be (MAY be) due to tightening the straps too tight. Its counter intuitive. In order to seal well, the seal has to fully inflate, which it cannot do if the straps are too tight.

Hi Clownbell, My HME doesnt sell F&P. Am also from bay area.. How can I buy a F&P FFM ? thanks

[Sleepster]

Hi Clownbell, My HME doesnt sell F&P. Am also from bay area.. How can I buy a F&P FFM ? thanks

Call your insurance company and tell them what's going on. The DME may be required to furnish the mask according the contract they entered into with your insurance company when they sold you the machine. Part of the payment they received was to cover services like mask replacement.

Another possibility is that your insurance company can give you the name of a DME that does sell that mask.

Of course, you could always buy the mask online from Supplier#1 or the like, and pay out of pocket.

[arunjb]

It looks like mouth-leaking to me. The chin strap is not helping. I recommend you try a full face mask. It will be a huge improvement.

Hi Sleepster, 

To confirm, 
ideal is nasal pillows or nasal mask without any mouth leak. Ideal bcos we should be breathing only through our nose.
with mouth leaks, if one cannot mitigate with chin strap or oral mouth tape, then switch to full face mask. Otherwise sleep therapy and in turn sleep quality is impacted, ie sleep therapy/quality gets higher priority over whether we are breathing through nose or mouth.. 

Also, when you say huge improvement, you are also implying that it is easier to fix any mask leak that may happen with full face mask.. 

thanks

[Sleepster]

Also, when you say huge improvement, you are also implying that it is easier to fix any mask leak that may happen with full face mask..

No, I'm saying that mouth-leaking can cause your airway to collapse. Thus it's as if you have no CPAP therapy at all. The full face mask will stop the mouth-leaking, which in turn will render your CPAP therapy effective, which will in turn make a huge improvement in the way you feel.

There's nothing more or less ideal about a nasal mask. New patients tend to adapt to a nasal mask better probably because it's less claustrophobic. Since you are a mouth-leaker and a chin strap hasn't worked the ideal mask for you is a full face mask.