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Yayoe10, I don't know anything about your mask but most all full face masks connect with a cushion piece attaching to a frame. The cushion part will have air holes to allow your exhale to escape the mask. When the CPAP machine runs, air will constantly come through these and the air holes are located near the place where the hose connects. I think what yo are experiencing is normal.

Put the mask on while awake and turn the machine on and check in a mirror; air should not be coming out of the place where the hose connects to the cushion part.

If you have a Resmed machine (Airsense 10 or Aircurve 10), the machine has a built in modem that sends your sleep results to a cell phone tower. About an hour after you turn the machine off in the AM, the results of your sleep therapy are available and they store two weeks of results for your comparison to see how things are going. The website to get a login and then subsequently check your therapy results is:

http://www.myair.resmed.com

The results will show a number of things including: hours you had the mask/machine on, AHI, leaks measured as L/min, times mask was on/off and a total score. These things are explained in detail on the website I gave you. You can track how your mask is sealing and how it affects the AHI (apnea-hypoapnea index) and you want that number as low as possible. Anyway, self educate and don't hesitate to ask any question. No point trying to figure stuff out when there are folks here who have already been there. Good luck!

Have to second what Dan suggested but in many insurance plans, the primary care physician writes the prescription based on the suggestion by the sleep doc so if a new mask is needed, just go to your PCP. Many don't cost much and you can buy them from medical supply places on the internet with the PCP's prescription or you can have it sent to the medical supply place and have them fill it if your insurance allows (I am on an HMO and it is "managed care" meaning the insurance company decides what they want to pay for).

When washing the soft material on a mask, don't use anti-bacterial wipes. They break down the soft material. (Don't ask how I found out!). I suggest mild unscented hand soap then try the other things suggested if you child still smells the mask.

It would be worthwhile to write a chapter on the medical profession and their relationship to folks suffering from apnea. I think apnea is one of those medical issues that is gray to most primary care physicians and in my personal experience poorly understood. The medical dangers associated with apnea suggest this would be a required area of study in medical school but it would seem not, based on my experience. I was also shocked when I found out how many of my friends, family and acquaintances suffered from apnea and were on PAP therapy. The relationship between the primary care doctor and the sleep study doctor also appears tenuous. The PCP prescribes a study, a study is done and a recommendation for a prescription comes with it and the PCP generally turns that into a prescription for a medical supply company and no one in that chain gets to know anything about the patient or their ability to tolerate what is being prescribed.

Another chapter in such a book could include informational resources. A bibliography would help as well as references to literature that speaks in plain English. Also a discussion of various websites where folks with apnea will naturally gravitate. I check out other sites (outside this one) and found some of the advice by amateur doctors was almost scary and well, dangerous. Many traps out there when attempting to self educate and self education is essential since the medical profession is not necessarily on top of sleep apnea and associated issues considering how widespread the problem is.

Name is George. Have been recently diagnosed with sleep apnea. Not sure what to make of most of the terminology and have been given a BIPAP machine and poorly fitted mask by a local med supply place. It has helped my sleep and I was impelled to get some help because I continually fell asleep while driving and using power tools. Not good. That seems somewhat better but I have a zillion questions as I think I can do even better. Anyway, glad I found a go-to place where I can ask folks who are knowledgeable about the things I know little. Thanks!