My mom has to wear a Bi Pap at night. We are having a problem with the face mask across the bridge of the nose. We are trying to put a small piece of soft cloth across the top but it get all sore & red. Does anyone have a suggestion? The sales rep for the company suggested a triangle piece of cloth with a hole around the mouth and nose and take the mask apart & clip it to hold it in. My mom is 92 and not about to do this. Any suggestion..appreciated. She is at home now, and the nursing home used a soft foam which we will try tonight and she still got sore.
I use a cpap machine, which is similar to bipap. When I had my titration done in the sleep lab, they let me try several different masks.. One was full face mask that fits over your nose and mouth. It hurt the bridge of my nose instantly and I knew it was not a good choice for me. I then tried a NASAL pillow, which is type of mask. It is a piece of soft plastic that fits just on your nostrils. It does not cover your mouth and not all of your nose. It is very light and comfortable and I can't imagine using anything else. I have had a very good experience with using this type.
That night when I was getting set up, I tried a size small NUANCE Pro Gel pillow, which is type of mask. They call it pillow, but it's not to lay your head on. It's a type of mask. I later found a size Medium more comfortable. It only took me a couple of nights to get it on my nose correctly, but after that, it was very comfortable. I have no leaks.
To me, the key is getting the headgear set up on your head correctly. If it is too tight, the nasal pillow will be too tight on your nose and it will hurt. When positioned properly, it's not on tight and is not painful in the least bit. It just takes a couple of nights of working with it. Also, apply a little lubricating jelly to your nose, before putting on the nasal pillow. That prevents irritation. I'm not sure if that is allowed with a full mask.
I would suspect that perhaps your mom's headgear is too tight, or the size of the mask is not right, but that's just a guess. The rep for the company might be helpful, though, use caution. Those companies are rather.....sketchy. Be cautious in dealing with them. They all seem to be confused and not the most helpful. Long story, I won't go there.
Good luck! If she can get it working right, it will make her feel so much better. It made a great improvement in my health. My aunt is 82 just starting using Cpap and is doing quite well.
I would contact the DME supplier to work out this issue. I know oxygen cannulas can become uncomfortable and cause abrasions; little round foam rubber patches can be slipped over them to prevent chafing of the skin.
Knowing how much my father's respiration dropped overnight, I felt it was a high priority to make sure that we found something that could be used safely so he got the oxygen he needed. If he didn't, he would wake up tired, and was more likely to fall.
You might check out websites for people with sleep apnea. There are several that provide good tips, suggestions and do troubleshooting for you.