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+--- Thread: Can you determine leak type? (/Thread-Can-you-determine-leak-type)
Can you determine leak type? - drmaestro - 05-22-2020
Hi,
I was wondering if it is possible to determine the type of leak that has happened by looking at Oscar charts.Yesterday I remember having mask leaks and also some leaks due to mouth breathing while using a nasal mask. I am trying to determine which one was more important. I assume both these events would produce similar graphs but if there is a more specific way to differentiate, I'd be happy to know.
As am example, here's my graph for last night:
[attachment=23132]
By the way, is that amount of leak is important for my therapy? The ResMed S10 has the green smiley face, so I assume it means it is ok but I wanted to bu sure.
RE: Can you determine leak type? - sleepyp - 05-22-2020
That's not bad leaking from a technical point of view, your machine will still work as designed.
However, it's a bad leak if it wakes you up. If you remember the leak then I'm guessing you were awake?
The sections with a flatter top look more like mouth breathing, but again it's not bad unless it's disturbing you.
Do you use a soft cervical collar or mouth tape?
RE: Can you determine leak type? - drmaestro - 05-22-2020
I remember waking up 4-5 times. The first 1-2 times, I didn't feel a mask leak but I was mouth breathing. Towards the end of the sleep the mask was probably slightly displaced, so I woke up 2-3 times feeling a leak on the mask, and in all of these mask related cases, I was side sleeping. Side sleeping is quite a challenge, as the mask tends to move in this position, even though it has a small surface area compared to a regular full face mask (Dreamwear nasal mask). Maybe having air channels on both sides contributes to the problem, even though they aren't directly compressed.
I am considering solutions for mouth breathing. I've ordered both a cervical neck collar and micropure tape. Taping feels very counterintuitive and even dangerous though. I always fear that if there is power failure I might not be able to breath (I know that there are holes on the masks to prevent this from happening but it is still a concern).The neck collar can be a problem during summer months and I don't know how comfortable it is, or how effective it will be, as it probably will require some thinkering to find the sweet spot. My third solution option is to use the Dreamwear full face mask, which doesn't really look like a full face mask. I've ordered the headgear and the mask. I assume it won't be as comfortable as the nasal mask and there will be a higher surface area to leak. That therapy sure needs a lot of experimentation
RE: Can you determine leak type? - OpalRose - 05-22-2020
Probably more information than you want. The flatter tops are usually mouth breathing, and spikes on the graph are mask movement. There are a couple graphs in link below that show the differences.
A few leaks during the night are nothing to worry over unless it bothers you. But if you experience leaks for a good portion of the night, then that can affect the machine's ability to respond properly.
http://www.apneaboard.com/wiki/index.php?title=Beginner%27s_Guide_to_SleepyHead#Leaks