If air is blowing on you, the mask is not propetly fitted. Is your machine designed to issue warm, moist air? That can be easier on the nasal passages than dry air.

I use a non-mask....the nasal pillows. If, for some reason, I don't have it adjusted properly, air blows into my eyes. When tightly sealed, all of the warm air goes where it's supposed to.

Mine is set on 8, but that may get changed soon.

I have come to love my cpap. Don't give up on getting the right fit. I pretty much did that myself by adjusting straps here and there.

Some people have to have the ones that have humidified air. The dry air can be irritating. My sister has that kind.

What does the Dr. say? He/she should be the one discussing this with you, not the nurse. She can only suggest. My DH had one for years without problems. It did stop all his snoring. How many times did you stop breathing during the test? That you need to know. He used the type that heated the water or whatever he breathed.

I've been using a mask for about 12 years. I have severe sleep apnea.
I have to use a heated humidified inline with my mask.
I used a CPAP at first set at 19. I couldn't use it at that pressure.
So they switched me to a Bi-Pap set at 12 and 19, still couldn't use it.
So I had UP3 surgery and retested, this time it was set at 12.
About a year and half ago I developed hypercapnia and was put back on a Bi-PAP.
The settings were 10 and 15. It has since been bumped up to 10 and 17.
I use a full face mask (covers the nose and mouth).
Took a long time to get used to sleeping with a mask but now I can't sleep without it.

Pooh Bear

This post was edited by poohbear2767 on Wed, Nov 6, 13 at 23:12

I just got a CPAP machine about a month ago. Still trying to get used to it. I have the nose pillow type "mask". I could not wear the other types during my study at all. Mine is set at 9. There is air that is expelled, is this what you are talking about blowing on you or is your mask leaking (not on properly or ill-fitting)? If your o2 level dropped to 82 you have a definite problem of stopping breathing (apnea) or a lung problem that causes your o2 to drop that low. Anything under 90 (or 88 according to insurance guidelines) is considered a risk. Stroke, heart disease, etc. Your sleep study would tell you why your o2 drops and you need to have them discuss the results of the sleep study with you.

DH has one. He uses the nasal pillows with a humidifier. He doesn't like the regular masks because there is a lot of leakage around them & he said it feels like air blowing in his face. He seems happy with the pillows. When he had his last sleep study done, I think they set his at 12. They set it for sleeping on his back because the apnea is worse then. He's mostly a side sleeper though & said the pressure was too much on his side. He got it adjusted (I think to maybe 9 or 10) & that seems to work.

By the way, I've not found that doctors are one speck of help when it comes to the fitting and operation of the equipment. None! You need to spend time with the various technicians.

One sleep clinic I went to had one kind of machine that they sold and they had a staff technician....no nurse, no doctor.....as the instructor. She was so so.

The clinic I'm going to now utilizes a good medical supply business for fittings and excellent instruction. Those professionals get their information about settings and recommended type of mask from the doctor....but that's it. I've been amazed at the difference in quality of service.

One thing I have to mention to people who are new to CPAP. It's imperative that you follow the directions for cleaning and sanitizing. Use a "green " dish soap for routine washings in the sink, making sure that hoses get cleaned on the inside. The vinegar rinses are essential at least once a week, though I dip my nasal insert into a vinegar/water solution every morning.

Use distilled water only for the water chamber....not only for the machine itself, but for you.

I'm mentioning this because of a fellow customer I met in the waiting room of the medical supply company. We both had our machines with us and he asked to see mine.

He and his wife oohed and aahed over mine but were shocked to find out that it was two years old. Older than his machine. They showed me theirs and it was disgusting! Covered with dust and the hoses were horrifying looking...with stuff growing on the inside of the hoses.

I simply told him what he should be doing ....they are his lungs, for cryin' out loud!!

rhizo, does the noise bother you? I can't stand noise, so I refused immediately. Before the sleep study. I said, I don't want to do a sleep study, because even if they find I need cpap, I won't do it.

Just want to add that you should replace the hose and the mask every six months. And remember to change the filters when needed.

Rob333, I wish you would re-consider the CPAP study. Not only will you sleep better after you get used to it, but it could save your life. Sleep apnea is no joke.

I agree patti. It's why I'm still trying to figure it out. Not sleep at all from the noise, would be just as bad though? I've sent my mom who has also been prescribed cpap, a link to a nose pillow. She too, refuses... nope, never mind on her. She still refuses. UGH! Her brother wears his, but she won't.

Helpful info here, especially about fitting from rhizo. I had the idea the machine was just sent to people in the mail not through hands-on fitting situations. It sounds important to have that. I don't need or have a cpap, but it's good to know about this.

Even tho' I don't have a machine, rob, I have slept in a room with someone who has a machine. I'm sensitive to noises at night from other people (snoring, even heavy breathing), but the cpap machine didn't bother me at all since it's a steady, soft noise.

Rob, my machine is almost silent. There is zero annoyance regarding the noise issue...I mean it. I thought the worst of them, too...until I actually had one! Don't let your preconceived opinion of them prevent you from getting necessary health care.

The special equipment they use during your sleep study might have a bit of a noise, but my small bedside unit barely makes a whisper.

I am a side sleepers, by the way, and these masks are made to be comfortable no matter how you sleep.

The worst thing about it is how it makes my hair look in the morning, lol!

Thanks for the noise info, both of you. Messy hair? No worries, I'm used to it with a convertible I ride in with the top down every day for 8 or 9 months out of the year.

:)

I bet my allergies would be better if I didn't ride in a convertible. Might even sleep better. Hm. Nah, not worth losing Cari over. I'd rather not sleep!

My husband has had a CPAP for a number of years, our sister in law also started using one in the last couple of years. (If my husband doesn't have it on just right it makes a putt-putt noise like a motorboat that he doesn't notice but I do and have to nudge him.)

I started using one in August. Neither of us can hear it, unless I have to lift it to scratch my nose. Mine can be "ramped", so it starts out at 4.5, then slowly goes up to 11. I can't even tell it went up, it doesn't bother me at all.
I used to get up 3 or 4 times a night, I thought it was my kidneys or bladder, now I don't get up at all until I wake up in the morning.
My brother-in-law had a heart attack, they told him they thought sleep apnea contributed to it.