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Blisters on Face from nasal mask?
Hello Sleep Guide Community I am actually new to the group so hello to everybody....... My name is Jamie I have started on my new cpap machine for about a week now and I feel wonderful. I am having a reaction to the nasal mask so is that usually normal??? I think the one I got is supposed to be hypo-allergenic So anybody that can help me with any suggestions that would be great thanks.
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Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by Melinda Hertel on
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Hi Jamie--The reaction you are having is rare, but not unheard of unfortunately. We have a patient who had the same problem. Our doctor sent him to an allergist with a mask sample to do a skin test of some sort. Haven't heard the results yet. We have done a little web surfing and found that it's not the silicone but the coating they put on the silicone that people are allergic to. If you are getting blisters, I would stop using that mask and seek medical attention. Also, there is a cloth mask out there, but our allergic patient was allergic to that one too. It's called the SleepWeaver. Here is a link so you can see what it looks like: http://www.ezcpap.com/search.aspx?find=sleepweaver. We have not had very much luck getting this mask to seal. Apparently it works better at higher pressures, like 10cm or above.
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Permalink Reply by Jamie on
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Thank you so much for the response back.. Jamie
Melinda Hertel said:Hi Jamie--The reaction you are having is rare, but not unheard of unfortunately. We have a patient who had the same problem. Our doctor sent him to an allergist with a mask sample to do a skin test of some sort. Haven't heard the results yet. We have done a little web surfing and found that it's not the silicone but the coating they put on the silicone that people are allergic to. If you are getting blisters, I would stop using that mask and seek medical attention. Also, there is a cloth mask out there, but our allergic patient was allergic to that one too. It's called the SleepWeaver. Here is a link so you can see what it looks like: http://www.ezcpap.com/search.aspx?find=sleepweaver. We have not had very much luck getting this mask to seal. Apparently it works better at higher pressures, like 10cm or above.
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Permalink Reply by Tim on
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Masks are not supposed to cause any sort of reaction like that -- call your DME as allergic reactions can be dangerous. No mask is hypoallergenic, and whoever made that claim should be questioned about it. Most masks use silicone or gel cushions, which are unlikely to cause allergic reactions -- but they can cause serious reactions in some people. Different manufactuerers use different ingredients in their silicone, you may be OK with one manufacturer's mask, but have a serious reaction to another brand, or even different model of mask from the same manufacturer.
It is possible that you are not allergic to the silicone itself; you could be allergic to chemicals on the surface of the mask. There may be residue of release agent on the mask or you may be allergic to a cleaner that was used.
I would wash the mask in a 50-50 solution of white vinegar and water, rinse it in a baking soda solution, and then rinse well with water -- and then try it again to see if it is the silicone or gel, or if it was something on the silicone. It is a good idea to wash a mask before you wear it to remove any possible residues.
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Thank you so much Tim for the input, I am going to try the water vingear for the mask and I will let you know how is turns out thanks Jamie
Tim said:Masks are not supposed to cause any sort of reaction like that -- call your DME as allergic reactions can be dangerous. No mask is hypoallergenic, and whoever made that claim should be questioned about it. Most masks use silicone or gel cushions, which are unlikely to cause allergic reactions -- but they can cause serious reactions in some people. Different manufactuerers use different ingredients in their silicone, you may be OK with one manufacturer's mask, but have a serious reaction to another brand, or even different model of mask from the same manufacturer.
It is possible that you are not allergic to the silicone itself; you could be allergic to chemicals on the surface of the mask. There may be residue of release agent on the mask or you may be allergic to a cleaner that was used.
I would wash the mask in a 50-50 solution of white vinegar and water, rinse it in a baking soda solution, and then rinse well with water -- and then try it again to see if it is the silicone or gel, or if it was something on the silicone. It is a good idea to wash a mask before you wear it to remove any possible residues.
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