CPAP Clinic Sleep Blog

Understanding your sleep health, sleep apnea and CPAP therapy

Solving for CPAP mask leaks ( a follow up post ) by Cpapclinic.ca

Resmed Quattro Air CPAP Mask

What should you do before buying a CPAP mask?

Most Comfortable Cpap Mask – Philips Respironics Amara View Full Face Mask

1. Choose a mask and get ready to test IT

Next time when you visit Cpapclinic in Vaughan, Mississauga or Toronto, be ready to use a comfy chair in our offices during the mask fitting.

You can expect to see a variety of all three types of masks which includes:

Be sure to look at these three types of CPAP masks and narrow the field to a couple you want to try.

2. Prepare to fit the mask on your face

Resmed P10 Nasal Pillows
The following tips apply to CPAP nasal masks and nasal pillows. 

After you have selected couple of CPAP nasal/nasal pillow masks (for testing), let’s learn how to put them on the face:

  • Standing up, adjust the headgear loosely. The mask should still feel like it’s a fraction away from falling off.
  • Now lay down on the comfy chair on your back.  We’ll plug in a CPAP and attach your mask and turn it on.
  • Lift the mask from your face just a bit to let it fill with air. There will be a slight “thump” of air  inside the mask and/or a cool blast up your nose. Let the mask  lay on your face and make any adjustments to the headgear straps you need. The mask should fit comfortably, not tight.
  • Don’t worry about minor air leaks at this point. For them you don’t tighten but rather you run your fingertip along the seam between the mask’s outer cushion cover and your facial skin. That should eliminate the minor leaks.
  • For CPAP mask leaks near the eyes, lift the mask from your face just a bit, once it refills with air (i.e. the “thump” of sound) let it lay back down on your face a trifle low on the bridge of your nose. Now slide the mask just a bit up to the bridge of the nose to where you want it. That should both seal any minor leaks.
  • For CPAP mask leaks under or around the lower part of the nose try twitching your nose, or wagging your jaw back and forth or screwing your lips up every which way. Often that’s all that is needed to seal those minor leaks.
  • Now turn over to one side and make any necessary minor adjustments for leaks as above. Then turn over to your back and to your other side making any necessary minor adjustments. At no time should the mask fit too tight or uncomfortable.
  • If none of this works, try another mask until you find one that seems like it is going to work for you. That mask is the one to take home.
  • It make take another week at home for you to be sure you can sleep with this mask for sure.
  • When you find a mask that almost works be sure to look it over good and compare it to the next one you are interested in trying.
  • Look closely at the distance between the nose cushion inside top of nose area and the cushion at the inside bottom of the nose (or chin or lower lip if a full face).
  • Many of us need to be able to adjust the angle between the forehead and the bridge of the nose. The wrong angle accounts for the discomfort at the bridge of the nose. Generally, when the top straps are looser than the bottom straps, discomfort at the bridge of the nose can be avoided.

New 2018 Updates – Mask Tip

This tip came from a current user. And it’s targeted to men with beards. Here’s what he had to say, “To whom it may concern.

Your tips for mask leaking brought up a couple tips you may want to include in your next update.
I have been using a Resmed Mirage fx nasal mask for 7 years and hears 2 tips I found:
1. Make sure the last thing you do before putting your head on the pillow is push the mask onto your face. I often forget that and it’s crucial. I’ve found myself adjusting my steps after I’m laying down because of leaks, sometimes to the point that the mask is uncomfortable when if I had just pushed the mask onto my face I could had avoided leaking in the first place.
2. I can only speak to men who wear a nasal mask on this tip. Whether you have a beard or moustache, shave under your nose! Once the beard or moustache hairs are long enough it will not be an issue, but when there is shorter hairs under your nose they won’t mantain a consistent flow or direction and will poke out around the mask causing leaks.
Thank you”
Ronald C., Canada

 
The following tips apply to CPAP full face masks.
  • After you have the straps adjusted, raise the mask off your face an inch or so and then position it back on your face for optimum seal.
  • Think gravity when you adjust your mask. If you side sleep, it will be a bit tighter. If you sleep on your back, you will find a much tigher fit. If you toss and turn and sleep in all positions during the night, realize that gravity takes over and your mask may need readjusting to accommodate your different sleeping positions.
  • Full face masks are large in overall size, and when you side sleep, the frame may be pushing up in to your cheek area and moving off center causing pressure point soreness or leak.  Assure no big bedding or big pillows are pushing your mask off your face. Here’s one way to avoid this scenario.

CONCLUSION

In summary, you do have options when deciding on your comfort level with CPAP masks. Moreover, Cpapclinic supports your quest for comfort when using your CPAP, APAP or BIPAP.

Questions?

Call 1.877.430.2727 for help.

Written and Edited by Bill Bistak B Sc.,SEO/SEM Spc, CRT

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