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CPAP pressure vs. the air that escapes from the front of the mask
One of the downsides to my CPAP therapy is that whenever I face the middle of the bed, I have to block the front of my mask becuase the air that blows from the holes above my nose bugs my wife. So, my question, is if my machine is set at 13, am I really getting this much pressure, since there seems to be alot of air coming out of the front of the mask? I am guessing the reason this air blows from the front of the mask is to deal with carbon dioxide that we all exhale, but, does this air escape affect the pressure setting and the level of therapy provided by CPAP? I'm not talking about mask leaks, but, this is the air that escapes thru the holes that are naturally in the mask when it was produced. Thanks,
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Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by Mike on
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to rephrase your question, you're asking whether any of the prescribed pressure "leaks" on inhalation, not on exhalation, which we all know to occur, and if it doesn't leak on inhalation, why not because there are holes there? I'm fairly sure that none of the air leaks on inhalation, just on exhalation, so that if you're prescribed 13 cm of water pressure you do in fact get delivered 13 cm of water pressure, but we'll see what the pros have to say.
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Permalink Reply by RockRpsgt on
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Not sure how the end user product flow rate works, but in the lab at 13cmwp our machines fluctuate from abou 12.5 to 13.1cmwp. I could not imagine a true consistancy in any type of airflow. too many parameters. Hose length, does it have a bend or a kink in it, type of mask, type of cpap unit. The machines job is to keep you as tuned into your sleep number as it possibly can. I think for the most part they do this well. As for the air vent in front of your mask, I would not advise covering it. This is for co2 to escape during exhalation. This will for one cause laeks in your mask by making it rise of off your face. also we would not want you to suffocate. Not a major worry but it could happen as the high amounts of co2 could cause problems.
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Permalink Reply by Brad Beckwith on
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The pressure largely depends on wheter the machine has leak compensation. If it does then it should adapt to medium leak amounts. The mask problem can usually be overcome by changing the mask to a mask that vents not directly forward. The mask should leak at around 24l per minute by itself.
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Permalink Reply by Duane McDade on
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The air that leaks out of nthe front of the mask. It's supposed to...1.) as a vent. To get rid of the nasty bi-products of resperation. 2.) if the power goes off you'll have some way to breathe until you wake up, and take off your mask.
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Permalink Reply by Rock Conner RRT on
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I agree with the chorus. There is a continuous leak, during both inhalation & exhalation, that is compensated for by the flow generator.
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So it's supposed to do that? I hadn't noticed it at first, but in the last week, it seems to have suddenly appeared? Could be just me not noticing until recently. Is it supposed to come out around the plastic tube that the longer tubing connects to?
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yes all mask's have vents, of some kind.
Monica said:So it's supposed to do that? I hadn't noticed it at first, but in the last week, it seems to have suddenly appeared? Could be just me not noticing until recently. Is it supposed to come out around the plastic tube that the longer tubing connects to?
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Oh my gosh I have been dizzy for several weeks since I got my new mask. From this forum I think I just figured out that I covered the exhale hole when I got it and now have too much C02 in my system!!! No one ever told me not to cover that hole or what is was for.....yikes....
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Thank you so much for this info, you really helped me out as I had no idea what that hole was for and I have been light headed for weeks!!! You would think the doctor or med equipment people would tell you this stuff....
Duane McDade said:The air that leaks out of nthe front of the mask. It's supposed to...1.) as a vent. To get rid of the nasty bi-products of resperation. 2.) if the power goes off you'll have some way to breathe until you wake up, and take off your mask.
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Mike said:... so that if you're prescribed 13 cm of water pressure you do in fact get delivered 13 cm of water pressure, but we'll see what the pros have to say.
I would expect the pros to be less than enthusiastic on the idea of water pressure..... ;-)
Besides the practical reasons for the vents, I'm glad they are there, sometimes I put my hand in front of my mask to make sure the machine is on, otherwise I'm not sure if it is. My husband has noticed the "breeze" too - I don't think it bothered him though.
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