Nasal Pillows

[animallover13]

I will be using the LT swift for her tonight for the 1st time....I am about 2 weeks into Cpap now and have been using the Quattro FF mask previously but wanted to try the nasal pillows. Do you have any suggestions or little hints for a newbie about getting used to the nasal pillows? I am excited already because the LT swift feels so much better and my face won't be covered. That's a plus already. I am still getting used to Cpap therapy and haven't really noticed a whole lot of difference yet. I must add that I am very motivated however , I want to start feeling better and not be so tired all the time.

Thanks for any tips you might have.

[Janknitz]

Get it all adjusted before bedtime when you are fully awake. The best way to adjust headgear for the Swift masks is to hold the pillows up to your nose, turn on the machine, and THEN put on the headgear and adjust it just until any leaks stop.

Remember that you want the pillows fully inflated for the best seal with your nose, so it's going to be looser than you are used to having things to keep the &^^%$# Quattro from leaking But you want it tight enough so that things don't shift with the slightest move. Pillows go against your nose, not IN it.

If you can't stop the leaking, try a differnt size pillow. The conventional wisdom is go UP a size, not down, but that doesn't always hold true.

Positioning the short hose on the top of your head helps with the angle of the pillows.

The biggest goof people make is putting the pillows in backwards. Make sure that the raised RESMED letters are in the front, facing away from you.

[jweeks]

Hi,

Congrats on crossing over to the dark side. The Swift made all the difference to me since I was having troubles trying to get a full face mask to seal without leaving welts on my face.

The biggest trick I learned is that the angle of the pillows makes a huge difference for trying to get a good seal. I found that if you unclip the hose from the clip, and put a little more slack between your nose and the clip, the angle works a lot better. I found the hose going up and over is a little bit of a hassle, but my attempts to run unclipped failed because the angle of the pillows change on me.

Another trick is to replace the pillows often. I do it every 8 weeks or so. I can feel that I am not sleeping as well when they start to wear out. I order them from a place on E-bay, and I order a dozen or so at a time.

Lanisoh is a real big help. If you are not familiar with it, it is a lubricant that is found in the baby care isle at grocery stores and drug stores. Put a little on the pillows (or your nose), and you can get a much better seal.

Finding a way to keep your mouth closed can be a big struggle. I tried a chin strap, but it made my jaw hurt. I ended up doing mouth taping. That isn't optimal, but it works for me (so far).

Round nares work better. I struggle a bit since I have oval nares (almost slotted, but not quite), which are harder to fit with nasal pillows. But the comfort of the Swift LT is worth the hassle.

The one issue that still gets me from time to time is that the back of my head is flat, so the head gear tends to ride up, sometimes to the point where the mask almost falls off. I haven't found a solution for that, yet. I have heard that some people modify their head gear to add an additional strap. I might try that.

-john-

[Guest]

jweeks and janknitz have given you a lot of good tips. The only thing I would add is that a lot of people get sore nares when they begin using nasal pillows. One good thing about the Swift LT is that you can leave the straps relatively loose. Nonetheless, don't be discouraged if your nose gets a little sore. Your nares will toughen up fairly quickly and it will not hurt anymore. Good luck.

JZ

[animallover13]

Thank you both, these are GREAT tips, I do appreciate it. I think that having the short hose clipped up on the top of headgear seems like it will keep the hose out of the way for me. Of course I won't know until I try it.
The nasal pillows will work real well, especially when you have an itch somewhere on your face under that mask. arrrrghhh....

Thanks again !

[animallover13]

Thank you regarding the bit about sore nares AND the fact that they will toughen up. (that way I won't be discouraged) Good advice

[Hospiceangel]

Thanks guys,
It gives me the courage to try the nasal pillows again. Maybe the ones I tried are too big.
Shar:)

[animallover13]

Good luck to to you Shar ! I hope the nasal pillows work for you..... That's the great thing about this forum, a person is always learning something....

[saskman]

this is my second night on cpap and i am using the swift, I was really discouraged tonight because of a sore nose, after reading this thread Iam feeling better about it again, so I am off to try to go to sleep again. goodnight!

[elena88]

from one animal lover to another..

I love my nasal pillows! at first they felt weird and creepy, and hurt my nose, now I cant feel them at all!

so give it a good go... I think youll really like them..

now then this made a HUGE difference for me.. putting plush straps on my headgear actually helped make everything fit better, and
stopped all the red marks too..

these straps are SO soft!

http://strapsoftie.com/

[stormchaser2]

I have used the cpap system for about 6 years. Have used full face, nasal masks, and nasal pillows. By far the nasal pillow system has worked best for me. I am presently using the ResMed Swift LT, best one so far. Very comfortable, easy to adjust, does not move much during the night. I was using the Mirage Swift before, which was also good, but the LT is better. The medium pillows is a good start, but large or small may work better for you. I am a pleased user of the Swift Lt.

[usmccop]

I cannot get these pillows to seat. I've went from small to large and they leak when I sleep. Any ideas? I wake up in the middle of the night from the noise of the leaking air. The pillows/nostrils do not leave my nostrils, but air leaks from my nose area.