Suddenly horrible leaks

I use a Resmed Airsense 10, I believe it's called, and have been using the Eson 2 for about a year now. I got a new mask a couple weeks ago and didn't really notice any particular issues. I always get a little bit of leaks that I notice during the night, but I'm a super light sleeper and wake a lot with or without the CPAP. I just logged in to see what my scores have been lately and they are HORRIBLE! While a 20 is the top score there were days it was 9, 1 and even 0! I don't get how it could have been that bad without me noticing during the night. I mean I felt some slight leaks here and there, but that always happens. Usually my skin gets oily during the night and I wipe my face and then it seals better. But to have a 0??

I was doing so great for a while with getting a perfect 100 most nights. And those nights I usually feel some leakage. What gives? And is there a way that my medical equipment supplier should be able to give me a more detailed account of what went on those nights? Like if it was a consistent issue all night or did I have some crazy bad leaks periodically.

I've been skipping using it more and more lately because I swear I feel worse when I use it (even to some extent before these leaks) but this could explain why the past few weeks have been extremely bad.

I'm a mouth breather and have to use a chin strap. I tried a full face mask at one point but had even worse leaks and couldn't sleep comfortably on my side. With newer smaller full face masks on the market since then I'm debating trying one and seeing how it goes. Is there one that is more recommended for having fewer leakage issues?

There was a point when they reduced my pressure to 7 (after a sleep study showed that was all I needed) but on the rare occasion I slept on my back or if I got a little bit stuffy it didn't feel like enough. I had zero leaks and my occasional bloating and dry mouth stopped completely. Then they put it on a range I think from 6-12 and it felt better but I have the occasional issue of bloating, dry mouth and more leaks. But I fixed my mask tighter and it helped the leaks at least. I actually really feel like my machine ramps up to more than I need. I'm hitting 11-12 most nights even on my side yet my last study they never needed to go above 7. I'm just not confident in how well it really senses the pressure I need. It doesn't help I had two machines that were duds or started early on with pressure issues as well.

I'm making a followup appt with my sleep doctor just curious if anyone else experienced these crazy leaks without knowing it was happening at the time.

I think the first thing I would check is that the mask does not have any leaks by feeling around it when using it and the machine is up to pressure. All masks have a vent arrangement where the air goes out when you exhale, and essentially all the time the machine is running. They sometimes put filter material over the vent, and this may be optional or removable. The main purpose is to reduce the noise the exhaust air makes. If this material is not in place it may not only exhaust more air, but also be noisier.

Next I would check to make sure the machine mask type is set properly. With that mask I believe it should be on Nasal, not Nasal Pillows.

Yes your supplier should have software that can display your detailed data which will show leak rate continuously during the night. That information is also stored on your SD card and if you have a PC or Mac and an SD card reader, you can view it yourself with a free software program called SleepyHead. You can also see what your pressure is doing during the night compared to when you have apnea events. That will tell a lot as to whether or not the pressures are set right.

My wife used a nasal mask not unlike yours and was experiencing significant leaks. I convinced her to try a F&P Nasal Pillow mask called the Brevida. Her leaks have gone down a lot since switching masks, so masks can make a difference. Her mask has that filter piece that looks similar to the one on the Eson, and she has had it come loose, so check that part.

I use a ResMed AirFit P10 nasal pillow mask and have issues with large leaks when I open my mouth when sleeping. A chin strap helped a lot but did not stop them. Here is an example below of what I was getting for leak with just the chin strap, and then again after I started taping my mouth shut for the night. It sounds horrible, but it is really not that bad. Here is a link to a video by a dentist on the benefits of stopping mouth breathing with tape.

How to Mouth Tape for a Better Sleep

And here is what mouth taping did for me using SleepyHead to display the results. The first is with a chin strap only, and the second is with a chin strap and mouth taping. I use 1" 3M NexCare paper medical tap from Walmart. See the Leak Rate graph at the bottom of each report.

Hope that helps some. If you want help with SleepyHead just ask.