Newbie Question: Minor Leaks

Hello, folks--

I've a question: I've just survived my first full night of CPAP, and have had my machine for about 6 days. I'm noticing that over this time I'm more frequently experiencing minor leaks--part of the reason, I'm sure, is that as I become more comfortable with the feeling of having something strapped to my face I'm less afraid I'll break the thing if I move. So I roll to my side or scootch down in the bed or whatnot: I get comfortable.

Of course, as I do this, the mask shifts (it just fits right around my nose and above my mustache) and every now and then I feel a slight leak. Usually, I can kind of readjust the mask or slightly tighten a strap and I seal back up.

My question: Should I be worried about this? Is it a sign my mask doesn't fit right? My guess is it's probably normal and I shouldn't stress out over the occasional leak... But I could be wrong....!

Thanks!

Furabo,

If possible, post your equipment in your profile so the folks in the forum can make suggestions. I know that in my own case, I switched from a ComfortGel to a Twilight Nasal Pillow (NP) because I just couldn't keep the ComfortGel sealed all night. It drove me crazy. Good luck, and keep asking questions. The people here are really great at coming up with fixes.

Some leakage is really not that uncommon. Ofcourse you can get obsessive about it and try and stop every little leak. Usually this leads to overtightening the mask and making things more uncomfortable. If you have any read out on yoru equipment keep a tab on the leak rate, but don't expect to have zero leaks.

My personal opinion is to not worry about minor leaks. If you can wear your mask comfortably and only have to do minor tweaks in the night you have a pretty good set up. Once you are used to the therapy you will find you can do those kind of things in your sleep.

If you find the leaks increasing then do get peoples advice and try the tricks they have found successful. Some of the solutions will seem counter intutive , like loosening straps. All the various masks differ in what works with them.

You also need to remember that if you are getting substantial leaks it may be because you are opening your mouth if you are not using a full face mask. If this is the case you might need to change mask types or take alternative approaches to ensure you are getting the therapy.

Let us know more and search the board. The one thing you can be sure of on here is that someone has probably had the same problem and can help fix it.