Posted by Colin on July 18, 2002 at 13:34:35:

Well my nose finally heal enough to start using the Oracle on a regular basis. I've now used it for one full week. From what Ive seen so far it's like everything else having advantages and disadvantages.

First leaks -- Once you get the snap flap adjusted to the right place the leaks are minimal to nonexistent. Even if you do get some leakage it's not blowing air into your eyes. My eyes is feel much better and my vision has improved. I have found that if the snap flap gets wet due to drooling or condensation it will start to leak a little bit. Fortunately for me drooling has not been a problem. The other issue it is nose leaks. This is the Oracle equivalent to mouth breathing. They claimed that nose leaks go away but somehow that just doesn't seem right to me. I can keep the nasal passage closed off until I start to go to sleep and relax. Then the nose leaks starts. I'm currently using nose clips that kayakers use which are slightly spongy. The ones swimmers use are hard and not terribly comfortable. To that I've added moleskin and put paper tape on my nose. That seems to minimize the problem of tearing my nose apart but I'm still looking for more comfortable nose clips.

Second comfort -- I can't say that the Oracle is much more comfortable than my profile lite. The snap flap covers a sizable area around your mouth and in hot weather is not a lot of fun. My profile lite use to ride up and press on my eyes but obviously with the Oracle that's not a problem. One problem I have run into with the Oracle is noise. The exhaust vent is set up as an oval of holes on the elbow where the hose enters the mask. When the night starts off it's incredibly quiet. However if any condensation blocks holes it begins to sound like a flute. And as you move your head around the tone changes. That can be a little disconcerting. I'm trying to master Mary had a little lamb. I've heard some people complain about dry mouth. So far with the heating humidifier I haven't found it any worse than typical mouth breathing and maybe not as bad. If I turn the humidifier up high enough to completely eliminate dry mouth the condensation becomes a real problem.

Having a relatively sizable piece of silicone stuck in your mouth takes some getting used to but isn't too bad. I have had some problems breathing early in the night not unlike when I first started using a nasal mask. It's that OH my god I can't breathe feeling. Fortunately after a few minutes that seems to go away. Also I seemed as the swallowing a lot of air. It's getting less everyday but it's still a problem.

I certainly don't think the Oracle is the ultimate mask. If you're having problems with air leaks and that bothers you too much or can't tolerate the breeze type units, the Oracle is probably worth a try. Also it might be good backup when you have a bad head cold for those who don't seem to be able to get full face masks working.

I haven't checked the output from my Autoset T to see how things look from an apnea standpoint. Actually I'm not even sure that the Autoset will work properly with this mask. I do know that I feel somewhat more alert but that might just be the placebo effect. Anyway I'm going to continue wearing it for a few more weeks to see how it goes and will let you know.

Follow Ups:

• Re: Oracle update ttwister 14:48 7/19/02 (0)

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