MyApnea I'm having quite a few problems with the nasal mask.
Hi there, I'm pretty new to this really. I have a severe obstructive sleep apnea with an AHI of 61. My clinic fitted me in quickly and got me a med air with nasal mask only. There is no humidifier. I told them that I find it hard to breathe through my nose as was used to breathing through my mouth. The nurse said, as I can see you breathe through your nose and aren't having difficulty, we usually give out nasal masks.
She measured me for a full mask and then I have been using the nasal mask at home. After about four days, I noticed I was having a lot of nasal congestion that at times wakes me up finding it hard to use the mask. I have to unblock my nose, use the nasal spray I bought and try again. The last few days have been really hard and even with the spray can't unblock either one or both sides of my nose. My GP said there wasn't any other meds he could give me, apart from an over the counter spray which I have.
I have left messages with the clinic with them not getting back to me. I will ring on Monday when they are back and really try and see if I can get a full face mask. Do you think this is the way forward for me now. The nasal mask although at first was alright, nearly two weeks in, I'm struggling. Thank you so much for your advice. - Mike.
I think the nasal mask is the preferred choice if you can make it work. I find if I can get my nose clear at night I am good through the night. If I can't get my nose clear on both sides, I use a generic Otrivin spray in the nostril that is congested. I try to avoid excessive use of the spray as continued use can make the congestion worse. Some report good results with using a corticosteroid nasal spray daily on a preventative basis. I believe it used for congestion due to allergies. However, I tried Nasacort and it did not help me.
The other issue is having no humidifier. A humidifier can help a lot with nasal congestion. Perhaps you should be going back to your clinic and requesting a machine that has a humidifier.
I told my provider that I was a mouth breather and was fitted with a Resmed Airfit30, which has a nasel pillow but also covers my mouth. It's pretty comfortable, and I am getting used to it. I also didn't have a heated tube at first but was able to get a replacement. I understand that you can change out your mask within the first month with no charge. My provider is Optigen and I'm on Medicare.
If the nasal pillow isn't working for you insist on trying something else. For a nurse to tell you that you don't know your own body is really ridiculous.