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+--- Thread: weird smell after removing mask? (/Thread-weird-smell-after-removing-mask)
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weird smell after removing mask? - upat3am - 04-30-2016
I just started with a ResMed AirSense 10 and a Quattro Air mask. (a story behind that, which I'll skip for now).
When I use the machine, the air in the mask has a very slight plastic smell but otherwise as clean as mountain air. However after using it for a night and taking off the mask, the air in the room has a very strange unpleasant smell like sweet burning plastic. I can't tell if this is some sort of strange illusion of perception or if the machine really is filling the room with bad air. The sensation lasts for a couple of minutes.
RE: weird smell after removing mask? - DeepBreathing - 04-30-2016
G'day upat3am.
A couple of thoughts come to mind...
1. There is something wrong with your machine and it's giving of this smell
2. There is a source of the smell other than your machine, which you don't normally notice
3. The apparent smell is an artefact caused by the filtered and humidified air you're breathing. Or to put it another way, you've adjusted to breathing the air from the machine so your nose / mind imagines that the room air smells off.
If you have a partner, does he/she notice the bad smell?
RE: weird smell after removing mask? - archangle - 04-30-2016
Many people have noticed this. We haven't really figured it out, but it doesn't seem to be unusual or lead to any big problems.
One thing that occurs to me is that you're breathing air that comes from where the machine is sitting, and you don't smell yourself. i.e. your body smell, any cosmetics, hand creams, laundry detergents, shampoo, soap, etc. When you take off your mask, you smell all that stuff over again.
RE: weird smell after removing mask? - chill - 04-30-2016
The machine sucks in the air that it pushes out though the hose. If the machine was giving off bad smelling air, that would have to be pretty close to the air intake. So it would also be sucking in the bad smelling air and you would smell it through the mask. If that was the case, it should be less strong after you take the mask off.
RE: weird smell after removing mask? - palerider - 04-30-2016
I concur with arch on this one, the human nose becomes "numb" to smells after a fairly short time. that's why women (usually) that marinate in perfume aren't knocked out by it, but sharing an elevator with them can be an eye watering experience.
you've spent the night breathing air that's coming from a distance away, and when you unmask, you get the smells that are right at your nose, sheets, pillows, hair, any cosmetics, etc... things that you stop smelling after a few minutes.
RE: weird smell after removing mask? - cliffr39 - 05-01-2016
Every day when I remove my mask I can smell laundry even though we haven't done laundry in a few days. I think the machine just clears the palate for you to smell things around you again.
RE: weird smell after removing mask? - OpalRose - 05-01-2016
When I unmask, I smell flowers. Not complaining.
RE: weird smell after removing mask? - Luvmyzzz - 05-01-2016
RE: weird smell after removing mask?
There's a phenomenon associated to this event, it's called desensitization, when an outside stimulus (in this case smell) is most abundant you notice it, but after being around it for a few minutes you don't notice it anymore. In your case, you smell the plastics of the mask when you put it on, when you take it off, the smell changes and you notice it without the devise most directly in your olfactory nerves (the smell center to the brain) and after being off for say maybe 20 minutes or so...the smell is gone...it's the same for any of your senses: touch, hear, visual, smell, taste (these last 2 can coincide), examples can be used in any of these experiences to test this phenomenon, & as Archangle describes substances used daily, just not real close "in your nose" for a continued period of time.
RE: weird smell after removing mask? - upat3am - 05-01-2016
So I did an experiment and held my breath as I turned off the machine, then ran into the living room to take my first breath. Same weird smell. So it does seem to be due to an olfactory fatigue effect.
RE: weird smell after removing mask? - AlanE - 05-01-2016
I notice this too even after a year of cpap.
Now imagine if you were living at your grandmother's house.