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A Properly Fitted Apnea Mask Is Key

An Easier Way - Nasal CPAP Masks Work Great For Some

"When my doctor said he suspected I had sleep apnea, I said sleep what?" Eddie Keifer admitted. It took a lot of coaxing from his wife to get the 49 year old body shop man over to the sleep clinic.

But confirming the diagnosis was just the first stop. Like most, he was prescribed a CPAP machine complete with accessories. And like most he didn't take to it right off. Especially given his choice of full face masks.

Then he tried one of the nasal CPAP masks. That and a CPAP chin strap and he was at least sleeping through the night. And wasn't being awaken by the beeper on his machine telling him his mask was off. Somehow. Either on the floor, under the bed or lost in the covers.

"It's the darndest thing. I never remember taking it off but it sure wasn't on."

"Aside from getting a good fitting, the best advice I got," Keifer went on, "was to keep at it every night. Even if you're only wearing your apnea mask an hour or so. Before you know it you'll be sleeping the night away and not even give it a second thought. And you know what? They were right!"

Did You Know? Many mistakenly think the "fix" for mask air leakage is to clamp down tight with the straps. Not so. Air leakage is more of a positioning issue rather than loose straps.

Eddie added, "One of my buddies warned me that the problem he had with nasal masks was a sore jaw. Not sure why exactly as I didn't have that problem. Besides the nasal pillow versions worked great for me. Almost no leaks ever. Which is a big plus."

“Problem is what works best for me and my apnea mask might not work at all for you,” Keifer said. “Read the manual. Play around with the mask. Consider a hybrid cpap mask. In the end only you can figure out what will work best for you and you will likely have to play around a bit for awhile to find out.”