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Posted by Ken Rothwell on March 05, 1998 at 23:40:21:In Reply to: Getting Used to CPAP--A Few Questions posted by John on March 05, 1998 at 18:36:58:
I may be able to help you out. I am a sleep lab technologist for a sleep lab here in Denver and I deal with CPAP related issues all the time. First of all you have to check with your insurance company to see what your options are with changing masks, machines etc. in the future. Different people are on different plans and it is important to find out what your options are. Your sinus problem can be addressed not only with humidification (heated is much better) but also nasal washes, nasal steroids etc. It is important to go to an ENT (Ear, Nose & Throat) doctor so he/she can assess sinus problems especially if these problems occurred before CPAP. A sore throat & restless sleep suggest to me that you may be mouth-breathing with CPAP on at night. Because you can not control this while sleeping what is called a chin strap is probably neccessary. The reason it is important to keep your mouth closed with CPAP on is that the pressurized air coming from CPAP must go down the back of the throat to be effective. By opening the mouth (even unconsiously) the air basically pulls a U-turn out the mouth and is not doing its "job", going down the back of the throat and keeping the upper airway open. Breathing through the nose is important (we do this naturally) because it warms up the air, filters out debris, and helps moisten it for the lungs. The mouth does not have these same properties and consequently mouth-breathing drys out the mouth/throat causing irritation and soreness. As far as nasal pillows go, they are more likely to be knocked off the face with restlessness. If the chin strap (which is cheap) doesn't work I might consider a full-face mask for you wich would cover the nose and mouth, allowing you to breath either way. However if you are at all claustrophobic I wouln't reccommend it. Full faces masks can be more subject to leakage than nasal masks. So in summar: give the chin strap a try along with the heated humdification, see an ENT if the sinus problems persist after that, try a full face mask at last resort. If none of this works you may want to consult with a sleep specialist as they will be able to give you other options. However I would give CPAP another 4-6 weeks with those modifications. Good luck.
- Re: Getting Used to CPAP--A Few Questions Ken Rothwell 3/05/98 (0)
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