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snuzyQ

snuzyQ
Joined May 2015
Bio

dx OSA Oct/2012. Husband and I are CPAP "duelies" for 6 years now. Respironics system one and Swift FX for her nasal pillows. Husband has ResMed AirSense 10.

SF East Bay Area, California

snuzyQ
Joined May 2015
Bio

dx OSA Oct/2012. Husband and I are CPAP "duelies" for 6 years now. Respironics system one and Swift FX for her nasal pillows. Husband has ResMed AirSense 10.

SF East Bay Area, California

Hi GoodCaribou:

I agree with Sierra that this is a mask problem and not a problem with your machine. While all these leaks are going on, what does your nightly AHI look like? My husband's mask leaks like crazy, yet his AHI (Apnea/Hypopnea Index) stays under 3 or 4 each night. So, the leaks, even though they are noisy, produce awful leak numbers and earn him a red frownie face on his machine, are not really an issue. If your AHIs are over 4, then you have mask leak troubles that must be addressed.

About the sore eyes. The air that's escaping could be from your mask exhaust, independent of your mask seal. Mask exhaust sometimes ricochets off bed covers, bed pillows or parts of your body that may inadvertently be in the way and gets directed back into the eyes. I have dry eyes yet am no longer troubled by air getting in them because I use an eye lubricant each night before I go to bed.

Everyone is different, but the one that has helped me so much is a product called Systane Nighttime preservative-free eye ointment. It isn't all that expensive and you don't have to have dry eyes to use this. The soreness tells you that your eyes are drying out from the escaping air. Try this and see if you can get your sore eyes to go away. Squeeze about a quarter-inch long strip of the ointment inside the lower lids of each eye. Your doctor's office isn't being helpful with this because they know it's a minor issue, so matter how uncomfortable it might be for you. Doctors like to deal with the life or death problems.