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That smell is certainly a cause for concern. Get it check ed out ASAP. Also, you can just turn the heated tubing off if you wish. You don't have to get a whole new machine without it.
Wiredgeorge is correct in that a decrease in AHI from 14 to 9 is not a success. However, I have watched several people sleep flat on their stomachs while wearing CPAP, with their face and mask buried straight into the pillow. Apparently it works for them.
CPAP opens your airway and keeps it open - that's the whole point. The correct pressure is one that doesn't allow you airway to collapse, so that your breathing is uninterrupted.
Oh, and I've heard of many different pillows which people use.
I have a number of patients who tape their mouths shut. I've never know it to cause a problem. If the power goes off an you can't breathe you will wake up and take the tape off. Also, have a CPAP mask on doesn't mean that you can't breathe through your nose of the power goes out. I'm not sure what the concern is with mouth taping.
The S9 and AirSense 10 machine from ResMed all do the same thing. It's pointless but harmless.
Hi DenMoo. What is it about CPAP that is bothering you? It's different for everyone.
Short answer, bottled water should be fine, especially for a relatively short period such as that. Worst it can do is slowly make your humidifier chamber dirty, but that normally take much more than 2 weeks.
I agree with Wiredgeorge. Have a look at the Amara View.
This is getting a bit confusing because the terminology is getting mixed up. You said that you are having 17 central apnoeas per night but that your total central apnoeas + hypopnoeas per night is < 10? How can the number of central apnoeas and hypopnoeas together be less than the number of central apnoeas alone?
17 central apnoeas per night is not a big deal. For 8 hours sleep that's about 2/hour. Some people naturally have central events at sleep onset or immediately after a disturbance (which won't respond to CPAP). I wouldn't get too worked up about it.
A hypopnoea is a partial decrease in air flow which is accompanied either by a decrease in your blood oxygen level, an arousal (change in your brain activity) or both. Again, if the overall number of events is not too high, then it is likely not a great concern. You sleep study should really have filled in some of the detail here.
All chinstraps should allow you to open you mouth if you try. That's not what they are trying to prevent. They are supposed to prevent you jaw from drooping open when the muscles relax. Think of it as supporting your lower jaw rather than keeping your mouth closed. So even though you may be able to open your mouth when you are awake, your chin strap may still be helping to support your jaw while asleep.
Are you sure that what you feel is your "uvula closing"? The obstruction in OSA happens slightly further back than that. The CPAP machine is simply supposed to create enough pressure in your upper airway to keep it open (just like blowing up a balloon). When some people fall asleep they have what we call in the industry "onset events". These are brief pauses in you breathing which are central in nature rather than obstructive, occur as you are falling asleep and disappear rapidly once you are properly asleep. These are usually no big deal. What sort of AHI does your machine say you have?
I agree - it's creepy. The manufacturers never asked anyone if they want all of their data consonantly transmitted back to the manufacturer forever. I can;t help but imagine it's a way for them to push more product on you. "Hi Mr Smith, this is ResMed. Your mask leak was a little high last night. It must be time to buy a new one". I think that the idea of constantly harvesting info from all of you consumers without their consent or knowledge is more than a little ethically shady.
