Hi

New to the board and the CPAP mask....... altho I am familiar with sleep apnea as my husband has been using the machine for several years.

I have rosacea and the mask makes my nose red and one side of my face swells up. I have tried 3 different mask and am now considering a nasal pillow. The provider wants me to try Puritan Bennett breeze nasal pillow. They have been very nice trying to help me overcome this.

Anyone here use that one???? Any info /help will be appreciated.

How do the nasal pillow uses like them...... better than a mask??? Yes, I am full of questions.:D

Thanks.

linda

I posted a question about using masks with rosacea........ since I have received no answers, I will rephrase it.

I would like to see some comments about nasal pillows and the different kinds.

I am a new CPAP user and am not familiar with all the problems that can occur.

The Puritan Bennett breeze nasal pillow has been suggested to me. Anyone here use it???

Hi Meno,

Welcome to Apnea Board! I use nasal pillows and I probably won't be going back to any other type of system. Specifically, I use the Mirage Swift (if you scroll down a few posts, you'll see my posting about the newer version of the Swift and a picture).

Seems like people either hate them or love them, but if you're having trouble with a mask being an irritant to your face, I think you'll find that there are less "pressure points" or points of contact with the nasal pillows systems. I haven't tried the Puritan Bennett system, however.

I like the Swift because it's lighter, I can read a book with it on, and it's not bulky on my face.

Meno,

For reference, below is a short review I posted of the Mirage Swift nasal system when I first got mine in 2005... keep in mind there is a new improved version out now, but this may be of some use to you...

SuperSleeper's review of the ResMed Mirage Swift Nasal Pillows system

Description: A few months ago, ResMed introduced the 2.5-ounce Mirage Swift nasal pillows system, which rests lightly on the face with the pillows positioned at the entrance of the nostrils. The Mirage Swift air tube can be used in an up, down, left, or right position. The innovative design, combined with the soft and secure headgear, enhances seal and stability and eliminates the need to over-tighten. Once adjusted, the Mirage Swift can be fitted quickly and easily, without clips or Velcro. In addition, each Mirage Swift ships with three sizes of pillows, eliminating the need for fitting templates. Each product comes with its own carry bag, including an educational CD with video, quick-fit guide, and user instructions.

Intitial Thoughts: When the mask arrived from my DME, I was surprised at the quality of the carry bag that it came with. It was built extremely well and even had slots for additional nasal pillows and the instruction manual, along with an air-flow mesh to allow the mask to dry out during storage. The actual mask looked flimsy to me at first, but I believe this is only because I'm used to a big hulking standard nasal mask made of heavy duty plastic.

Trying it on: I recommend viewing the video that comes with the mask prior to trying the mask on. You'll be glad you did; it's a standard CD-ROM that will work in any computer (not a DVD). You must first choose one of the 3 supplied "nasal pillows" (small, medium, large). I suggest trying out the medium first. I did this, but went to the large pillow, which seemed to provide a better seal for my "big nose-holes" For an "average" size head, I would recommend that you adjust the straps so that you have about an inch of loose strap on each of the 4 adjustment points. This will give you a very loose initial fit and you can easily draw down the straps to tighten as needed. Remember that you don't want to over tighten this mask; it doesn't take much to make a good seal. To put the mask on, you'll want to first put the straps in place, then gently place the nasal pillows onto your nostrils (make sure you don't put them in upside-down, which is possible). To take the mask off, simply lift the pillows off your nose (away from your face and slightly upward), then lift the straps off next.

My first night: Well, it went pretty good, actually. I've tried several masks and this one is the best so far. My last mask was the Resmed Ultra Mirage nasal mask. I always had some degree of leaking with the Ultra Mirage, and the airflow would sometimes cause my eyes to dry out and be red in the morning. Not a problem with the Mirage Swift, because if any air does leak, it simply "hisses" out of your nostrils, away from your eyes. You will need some time to make adjustments with this mask. You can twist the pillows up and down to make a better seal, you can adjust the attached tubing to go on the left or right side easily, or you can attach the tubing to your head strap for a more secure feel. But once you make the adjustments to fit your head and nose, I think you'll be happy with this mask, unless you have overly sensitive nostrils.

My first week: It's been about a week since I started using the mask. I really like the ability to watch TV or read a book before I fall asleep. I couldn't do that with any other mask I'd tried. I still have very minor air leaks from time to time, which are quickly resolved by making a small adjustment or moving my head slightly, but no leaks as bad as I had with other masks. But as I'm getting more used to how to adjust it, it's getting better and better.

Final Thoughts: I would rate this mask a 9 on a scale of 1 to 10. It ain't perfect, but it's the best I've had yet and least heavy. The nice thing was that my health insurance (Aetna) paid for 90 percent of the cost (retails for $120 - $150). Resmed has details about this mask on their homepage at: http://www.resmed.com

If you have any questions, just ask.

I had to stop using a face mask (Comfort Classic) due to hives and swelling and skin infections. I've used both the Optilife nasal pillows and the Mirage Swift. Both have rigid straps that cross your cheeks and I've had persistent irritation on my right cheek with both masks. I clean my skin scrupulously before bed and make sure the mask parts are cleaned daily. You will just have to try the different nasal pillow masks until you find one that works for you. Both masks are light weight and fairly comfortable. Both make my nose tender but in different ways. The Mirage is more comfortable to wear but leaks more and is so much noisier. I switch back and forth between them and that seems to be the best solution for me right now.