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I cannot stand the face and head being enclosed
I cannot seem to tolerate the face mask covering my face. the head gear, the tightness of it all and the force of the pressure. I am not doing very good getting use to it.
Would it help if I laid down and let the mask be close to my face, but not strapped on and blowing the air and breathing.........would this help me get closer to using it?
Would it help if I laid down and let the mask be close to my face, but not strapped on and blowing the air and breathing.........would this help me get closer to using it?
Views: 26
Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by Mike on
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I would recommend you start off with a less confining mask -- check out the ResMed LT for Her CPAP Mask. It's the latest/greatest technology from ResMed in masks, and it's specially designed for women. It's what's called a nasal pillows cpap mask, meaning it has "pillows" that insert into the nostrils of the nose. it doesn't cover any other part of the face, and tends to be more comfortable/ less intimidating than nasal or full face masks. that said, folks (like me) often have trouble with it leaking if you plant your face into your pillow and for that reason the pillows become dislodged from the nostrils, letting air escape. that said, a lot of people use them successfully, you're a sleep apnea newbie trying to get accustomed to the therapy, and it's worth a try to see if it works and to "break yourself in" to CPAP treatment.
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Permalink Reply by Judy on
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Mike's suggestion is a good one, as is Patrick's. My additional thought is that your headgear was fitted too tight for your comfort AND for efficacy of the mask and pressure.
With a proper mask fitting you would lay down and just lay the mask on your face, turn the CPAP on at your set pressure or 10 cms whichever is higher and then adjust the straps JUST ENOUGH to keep the mask from falling off your face. The adjustments have to be made evenly, same lenghth and "tightness" each side. BUT - NOT too tight! The biggest mistake newbies make it so keep tightening the straps to reduce or eliminate leaks. It is also the biggest mistake the "professionals" make when fitting our masks for us! The mask cushion MUST be fully filled w/air in order to form a good seal. IF we tighten too tight we "squish" a good amount of the air out of it. Often we, or they, are snugging up the mask too tight when if we just ran our finger along the "seam linel" between mask cushion and skin we would be turning the edge of the cushion UNDER just enough to finish the seal and reduce or eliminate that leak.
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Permalink Reply by RockRpsgt on
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Another mistake that us "proffesionals" make is that we are innitially trained to fit a mask with the pt sitting up. THIS IS THE WRONG WAY TO FIT A MASK. When a person is sitting up the tech has to fight with gravity as well as getting a proper fit. This is one of the main cause for bad fitting among sleep techs, myself included. I just learned the importance of this from my Resmed rep the other day.
In addition to Mike's suggestion you might also want to try the Resmed Activa line of masks. They are a normal nasal mask that I have been having a great deal of success with. I feel that they need the smallest amount of headgear tension to get a good seal. Also the Fisher Pykel Opus is a very good one for pts with claustorphobic issues.
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Right on, Rock Hinkle. Facial tissue responds to the force of gravity just as everything else! The Activa is a favorite of many apneans in the various apnea support forums.
It was my local sleep lab manager who first insisted on my laying down for a mask fitting. I had originally met her in 1996-1998 when she was the daytime scoring tech at our local hospitals sleep lab and I was following a PSG evaluation w/an MSLT. She had been an RT for quite a few years before becoming an RPSGT. She now owns and manages her own sleep lab. She was aware that I had tried CPAP back in 1996-1998 and after 2-3 months, due to the mask issue and a sheister DME supplier had returned the equipment to the supplier in no uncertain terms as to why - the mask. When I had difficulties w/masks when starting on CPAP 9n 2006 and encountered yet another sheister DME supplier she offered to have me come in to the sleep lab and she would personally fit me w/a mask.
She brought a blanket into one of the sleep rooms and had me lay on the bed. We went thru 5-6 masks w/me laying down, the bedside CPAP turned on and when we got a good fit on my back she had me roll over to each side and we made small adjustments as needed each time she had me change positions. She knows her stuff.
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Permalink Reply by Sandra Bozard on
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OMG.........everyone.......I was fitted sitting up at the sleep lab and at the medi home care office when I went to get my mask. I was told make sure no leaks and to do that I should keep tightening the straps. I have a small head......everyone seems to think it is anyway. I can't believe this........that is probably my problem!
I wish I could send you a picture of me with it on the way they insist I wear it.
I pray this will be the trick...........I really want to do this and I am really beating myself up because I can't! I am a surgical tech of 30 years!
I will lay down and try this now.......you guys are wonderful ......... many blessings to each one of you!
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This is the kind of stuff that has been left out of my training. I think that quite a few of the "Founding Techs" know of this, but somehow it seems to have gotten left out of some of the modern training as alot of these techs are now managers, clinical care coordinators, or even retired. Regardless of the reason these techs are not involved in the hands on training. For this reason I believe that customer service has been left out of the patient care aspect of this field. Not everywhere, but in alot of wheres. It is this attention to detail that I hope to bring to the table. Hopefully you patients will continue to help me catch the little things that I can improve on.
Judy said:Right on, Rock Hinkle. Facial tissue responds to the force of gravity just as everything else! The Activa is a favorite of many apneans in the various apnea support forums.
It was my local sleep lab manager who first insisted on my laying down for a mask fitting. I had originally met her in 1996-1998 when she was the daytime scoring tech at our local hospitals sleep lab and I was following a PSG evaluation w/an MSLT. She had been an RT for quite a few years before becoming an RPSGT. She now owns and manages her own sleep lab. She was aware that I had tried CPAP back in 1996-1998 and after 2-3 months, due to the mask issue and a sheister DME supplier had returned the equipment to the supplier in no uncertain terms as to why - the mask. When I had difficulties w/masks when starting on CPAP 9n 2006 and encountered yet another sheister DME supplier she offered to have me come in to the sleep lab and she would personally fit me w/a mask.
She brought a blanket into one of the sleep rooms and had me lay on the bed. We went thru 5-6 masks w/me laying down, the bedside CPAP turned on and when we got a good fit on my back she had me roll over to each side and we made small adjustments as needed each time she had me change positions. She knows her stuff.
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