I was really excited on Friday to get my new mask -- a Resmed Mirage Activa nasal mask . . . I had read here that a lot of people like it b/c it's good for "active sleepers", any position, straps can be loose, etc, etc.  I've had some trouble with other interfaces because I move so much while I sleep.

So last night was my second night with it, and I slept fine . . . I had a few leaks at first down by my upper lip when I tilted my head a certain way, but that pretty much went away once the silicone heated up.  (The first night I had more leaks than last night, so I had loosened the straps a bit.)

HOWEVER, this morning when I took the mask off, I had red marks in two places on my face (one down by my lip and one on the other side of my nose), and now (3+ hours later), they are still there!

I knew from these forums that with this mask you need the headgear straps to be loose, and I thought they were . . . it felt like the mask would almost fall off my face if it weren't for the air pressure.  Could it be that they are still too tight??  Or might it be that I need a different size (I'm using "standard", and at the DME office this seemed to be fine)?

Any thoughts?

  IT IS SO FRUSTRATING!!!!!! I WOULD GO BACK TO USING YOUR OLD MASK FOR TONIGHT AND CONTACT YOUR DME FIRST THING IN MORNING. I HAD TROUBLE WITH MY FLEXFIT 431 AT BEGINNING-THE THERAPIST DIDN'T THINK I NEEDED THE MEDIUM CUSHION THAT WAS ORDERED "YOU LOOK MORE LIKE A SMALL"  IT FELT OK FOR THE 5 MINUTES SHE TESTED ME. WITHIN 3 NIGHTS I DEVELOPED A BLACK NECROTIC AREA ON MY CHEEK... WENT BACK IN-DEMANDED WHAT "MY DOCTOR ORDERED" AND I HAVE NOT HAD A PROBLEM. I AM NOT A CONFRONTATIONAL PERSON(I LEAVE THAT TO MY HUSBAND)BUT A LOT OF THESE TECHS/THERAPISTS THINK THEY KNOW EVERYTHING- EVERYONE STILL CAN LEARN AT LEAST ONE NEW THING THING EVERY DAY IN MY OPINION. DON'T BE DISCOURAGED!!!!


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EVERY SILVER LINING HAS A TOUCH OF GREY
-Grateful Dead

skitter wrote:

I was really excited on Friday to get my new mask -- a Resmed Mirage Activa nasal mask . . . I had read here that a lot of people like it b/c it's good for "active sleepers", any position, straps can be loose, etc, etc.  I've had some trouble with other interfaces because I move so much while I sleep.

So last night was my second night with it, and I slept fine . . . I had a few leaks at first down by my upper lip when I tilted my head a certain way, but that pretty much went away once the silicone heated up.  (The first night I had more leaks than last night, so I had loosened the straps a bit.)

HOWEVER, this morning when I took the mask off, I had red marks in two places on my face (one down by my lip and one on the other side of my nose), and now (3+ hours later), they are still there!

I knew from these forums that with this mask you need the headgear straps to be loose, and I thought they were . . . it felt like the mask would almost fall off my face if it weren't for the air pressure.  Could it be that they are still too tight??  Or might it be that I need a different size (I'm using "standard", and at the DME office this seemed to be fine)?

Any thoughts?

Leaks around the nose might be that your upper most strap is tighter than the lower one, causing an imbalance. Marks on your nose !!!!!! either you sleep at a very funny angle or your mask is the wrong size. Did you get fitted for your mask ? If it is too small you might get marks around the nose.

Daniel.


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The untreated Sleep Apnoea sufferer died quietly in his sleep.......
Unlike his three passengers who died screaming !!!!!!

(Anon)

Thanks, Daniel -- I will check the top strap next time I wear the mask!  I may use my nasal pillows tonight if the mark is still there when I'm getting ready for bed.  

The red marks may well be from the position I was sleeping in -- they aren't right next to my nose but rather on my face where the edges of the mask sit.  If anything, the mask felt bigger than what I was used to!  

I did get fitted, pretty briefly, at my DME's office.  I had the RT fit the mask, then I made sure to have her hook me up to a CPAP, and I laid down on the floor and rolled onto each side to see how it felt.  I think she had the headgear a little tight (I loosened it when I got home), but otherwise it felt fine.

I had something similar happen with my first mask (Respironics Comfort Gel), where the mask actually rubbed a tiny blister (!) on my face.  I seem to remember that I adjusted the headgear straps and it didn't happen again.

My suspicion (based on other things I've read here about the Activa mask) is that the straps need to be looser still -- that I'm just used to "other" masks.  

Thanks!!!

Skitter,

When your DME fitted you for your mask, did they use a template? Or did they just look at you and say, "You're a medium"? DMEs are given templates by ResMed to use to fit patients. If they don't use one, the respiratory therapist (RT) will often say, "I've been doing this for years, I can tell just by looking at you what size mask you need." WRONG!! If your mask is too small, or you have a wide nose bridge or a long nose, there are different cushions that you can use to make your fit more comfortable.

The Activa mask is designed to "suck" your face. I know that sounds awful but it's true. That way, during the night when you turn over or lay on your side, the cushion moves with you and gives you a good seal. If you ever end up laying on your stomach, like my husband sometimes does, he actually sleeps "on his face" and that can cause red marks.

If your headgear is too tight it can cause red marks. Also if you tighten your mask too much you will smash the cushion flat and it won't be able to "float" above your face and do its job like it should.

Keep it firm but not too tight. Let the cushion "float" on your face. You can also adjust the forehead support and see if that makes a difference. If you have a forehead that protrudes more than someone else's, you may need to adjust it so that the mask better fits over your nose.

It may take you some time to get used to your Activa, but don't give up!

Thanks, momof3cats . . .

Getting the activa adjusted has gotten easier over the week . . . I think I'm finally getting the hang of it!  And yeah, I think the initial red marks probably were from sleeping on my face.  I still wake up with some marks, but they go away fast (and I have this with both of my other masks, so no biggie).

Again, thanks!!

skitter, are you sleeping with your pillow pressed against the mask?  Learning to sleep with the mask suspended over a tall edge of a pillow helps prevent pressing any mask into the face

Okie, I think that first night I probably WAS mashing my face into my pillow . . . I had gotten used to sleeping with the Swift, so wasn't as careful.

The activa is getting better . . . I think maybe I was a bit impatient in getting used to it?  

Last night when I strapped it on, I started the air and then pulled it away from my face and put it down over my nose with the pressure already going -- that seemed to work better than starting the air with the mask already there.  

In any case, I haven't had to get up in the middle of the night and change masks, not even once.