P10 exhaust

[gregnga]

I have an AIr Fit P10 nasal pillows mask and when I turn my cpap machine on and put the mask on, I don't feel any exhaust coming out the from of the mask like I do with my Swift FX mask. I can feel the incoming air coming through the pillows but no exhaust. I want to like this mask but I feel like I'm being smothered. So, I continue to use my Swift FX exclusively. I thought maybe there was something wrong with the mask but now I have 2 P10's.......same issue, so I don't use it. Am I expecting too much?

[Pugsy]

What pressure are you using?

The P10 has a new diffused venting system and you can only barely feel the air being vented out those holes when your hand is about an inch from the vent holes.
Even harder to feel if your pressure is on the low side.

[Jas_williams]

As Pugsy says the P10 has diffused venting I love it.


Some people find the P10 feels restrictive to breath with, try a size larger pillow also what is your minimum pressures it may be a bit low.

[palerider]

I have an AIr Fit P10 nasal pillows mask and when I turn my cpap machine on and put the mask on, I don't feel any exhaust coming out the from of the mask

Put your hand closer. like REAL close.

[chunkyfrog]

Moisten your hand--the cooling effect will be easier to discern.

[realshelby]

Probably examples of two extremes! The Swift FX has the most "exhaust" flow of any mask I have used. It is disturbing to me and a reason I don't stick with it. The P10 has probably the least "exhaust" at least in what you feel. But, there is actually a lot of air coming out of it. Just not in one spot. That makes the air flowing at a lower velocity and therefore you don't feel it the same. Like mentioned above, wet your hand and then feel in front of the mask. I think you will find there is quite an airstream, but much wider and more dispersed than the Swift FX. I am running 5 inches of pressure and I feel air moving out of the P 10.......

[gregnga]

Thanks for the great input, guess I just got used to the Swift FX. Maybe I'll give the P10 another try, it actually fits me better but I just haven't been able to get used to not feeling any air coming out the front. It's probably psychological.

[Stom]

The Swift FX and P10 have almost identical intentional leak rates.

I've superimposed the intentional leak rate graphs of both.

SwiftFXAndP10Rate.png (40.79 KiB) Viewed 1807 times

That they feel like they have totally different leak rates is a testament to how effective the diffusion on the p10 is on minimizing the way the exhaust feels coming out.

[chunkyfrog]

The flow is so subtle that a visual check is needed to determine the need to clean the frame.
I use a strong backlight and a magnifying glass to assess the presence of soil in the mesh.

[zorki1c]

I use a large pillow on my P10 when I probably would be rated as a medium. I just breath better. I wish my wife used a P10 with her machine as when she turns toward my in bed her mask blows a a blast of cold air on the back of my neck!

[SnoringInOregon]

As others have said, the exhaust air is diffuse.

I can't feel any airflow when I hold the palm of my hand over the mask exhaust vents. I just don't have that sensitivity in my palms.

However I can easily feel the airflow if I hold my forearm over the mask vents. I have more sensitivity there. I easily feel two distinct streams. Maybe this also would work for you?

Caution, when I had the humidity in my machine turned up, I wound up with water blocking the vent holes. Ugghhh! Absolutely awful. It totally wipes out the airflow. I really don't know how I managed to sleep thru quite a few minutes of that. I finally woke up gasping for air.

[jagstyles]

I'm thinking of trying the P10 mask but I recall when I did my sleep study, they first tried a nasal pillow mask and after a few hours, my nostrils started to feel sore/hurt. Is the P10 nasal pillow much softer? Can anyone comment on soreness of the nostrils etc? I'm intrigued by nasal pillow masks. I currently use the Eson 2 Nasal Mask but lately have had more air leaks than normal even though it's a new mask and it's especially bad once I start sleeping on my side. I also don't like how it leaves a mark on the bridge of my nose, although I hear you can get a pad to avoid that.

[prodigyplace]

The P10 can cause some initial discomfort, but it subsides in a week or so. Wrong size pillows can also cause discomfort.

[jagstyles]

The P10 can cause some initial discomfort, but it subsides in a week or so. Wrong size pillows can also cause discomfort.

That's good to know... I may have to bite the bullet and try one out. I'm assuming the different size pillows come with the mask or do you have to order just your size?

[realshelby]

Yes, the factory sealed fitment kits have three sizes of pillows. I think, and may be wrong, but if you my the "for her" version you get xs, s, m. If you get the "for him" or blue version you get s, m, l size nose pillows.

When using this the first time make sure your nose area is wiped down to get rid of oils on it. That makes the pillows sort of stick to your skin. Which means it seals better. You will probably be tempted to use this too tightly at first, and that is a big cause of nostril irritation. There is a wide range of fitment with these. All in how far apart or close together you have the two bands of elastic. For instance I often run the lower band down low toward my neck, the upper band almost to my forehead. That makes it fairly loose. If you have a small head you don't want the bands too far apart. The newer versions come with clips to take up slack in the bands if needed.

If you do find you are having nostril irritation, know that there can be a break in period! Using a bit of lanolin creme worked better for me than the water based types. I don't need it now. Takes about a week.