Itchy nose with CPAP

Hi

Anyone have any ideas about nose itching while using a full face mask? I used to use a nasal mask but moved on to the full face mask as I am a mouth breather. I have always had a slight problem with nose itching but it seems a lot worse with the full mask. I hasten to add that the itching is on the outside of my nose not inside.
Many thanks in anticipation.

Jan

I have an itchy nose, too. It usually starts when I get comfortable and the mask is in a good place. I then have to pull it away and scratch and start all over again getting comfortable.

Janden wrote:Hi

Anyone have any ideas about nose itching while using a full face mask? I used to use a nasal mask but moved on to the full face mask as I am a mouth breather. I have always had a slight problem with nose itching but it seems a lot worse with the full mask. I hasten to add that the itching is on the outside of my nose not inside.
Many thanks in anticipation.

Jan

Before you put the mask on at night, rub the area under where it will sit......nose, cheeks, etc. This has the effect of desensitizing that area and may allow you to get to sleep before your mind focuses on it again.


Den

Might be good to figure out why your nose is itching. My nose itches because it's dry. I've found that using Ayr gel inside and out helps to stop that. I also run a humidifier in the room at night when we are in our winter place in Tucson. At our home in Tacoma, I don't need the room humidifier but I still use the Ayr gel.

My nose also itches with a ff mask. I doubt in my case that there is any cause other than that I can't scratch it. Similar to why everything itches when you are in an MRI tube. You can't move so your mind plays tricks on you.

Consider not giving up on the nasal pillows. I too thought I was a terrible mouth breather. But now 3 years later I use a swift with no tape and no chin strap.

I never thought I would, but at the start I wrapped up my head to keep the jaw shut and taped the mouth shut. The air blowing up my nose made me able to breath through my nose like I hadn't for years. I was happy enough with that but over time I eliminated the tape and ace bandage and now am sleeping great and breathing through my nose.

Not that it will work that way for you but the point is don't count out the nasal pillow because you are a non-cpap mouth breather.

I had a problem with that early on with my micro....I found that using a good moisturizer on my nose before bed helped alot, and after a week or so, it stopped. I also find that if I go to sleep with my tongue "stuck" to the top of my mouth, once the pressure is going, it becomes an effective "cork" to keep my mouth shut during the night, almost like a vacuum seal. Have to actually make an effort to pull the tongue away from the top of my mouth when the machine is going.

I too have an itchy nose on the outside. I never had it before using a full face cpap and my mind is not playing games with me. It's real. I thought it might have something to do with the air moving past the outside of the nose on the way out the vent holes. I haven't tried any kind of lotions etc on it yet, but it's getting to be annoying. Hope somebody comes up with a solution.

I am still somewhat skeptical of the cpap thing. I sleep better, but I find I can still take afternoon naps if given the chance, like on vacations. Overall less tired, but that may have something to do with being 40 lbs overweight too. The cpap thing cost me about $1000 out of pocket. I saw the bill for the overnight stay $2349! Are you shitting me! And there were probably 8 top 10 people there the time I was. I'll Bet everyone one of us needed a cpap too.

Sorry about my babbling. Good luck to everyone. I'll be donning my fighter jet mask again tonight.

Mine very often feels like there are little fibers flapping in the breeze tickling the tip of my nose. I assume it's the airstream hitting my nose. I feel it with both the nasal mask and worse with a full face mask. I assume there's more air with the FFM.

I've got no solution other than scratching.

I get little tickles when I first put on the mask. Scratching BEFORE you put on the mask (and before the nose tickles) works.

Once or twice there was a stray hair trapped in the mask and flapping in the breeze and tickling me. Drove me nuts, and in the dark it's impossible to FIND it!!!!

This works well:

http://www.walmart.com/catalog/product. ... gMethod=rr

Otherwise, I lift the FF face mask body a tiny bit and stick my index finger under the Silicone seal and scratch while the machine is on. If the machine is off the Silicone gets bent.


Ditto, for sneezing while the mask is on and the CPAP is running. When I did not make it in time to lift the the mask a bit and sneezed, the anti asphyxia valve blew off. Luckily I got spare valves.

I am goin nuts with the itching. I don't itch with the sleepweaver, but it keeps leaking around my eyes. When I use a nasal mask for full face mask, my nose is horribly itchy. And I have terrible rainout. I need the moisture because I've had two sinus surgeries that have left me with a problem dealing with dry air. Gosh, I just want to sleep. If I don't use the cpap. I wake up snoring, if I do use it, it's leaking or making me itch. I'm seriously on the edge of losing it. I've tried a thirty material with the nasal mask, but it doesn't help.

In most cases It is a mind game, the mind wants to control you. Once you set up your mask and you are all set to go to sleep, the mind comes in with an itch so you have to remove the mask again and rub off the itchy area. It also happen in meditation, the mind inundates you with distracting thoughts or with an itch so that you can't peacefully the meditate for just a few minutes ( a controlling mind). You can try ignoring, no matter what, telling your mind you are in charge and you will ignore, eventually the mind will give up if you are persistent, if you have no patience to deal with it, you may have no other choice but to remove the mask and scratch the itchy area! However, I sometimes suspect it could also be caused by a miniscule drop coming from the blowing air, drip moisture, or dew landing in your face from the blowing humidifier.

If your nose itches... scratch it.... I used to use a pencil, but I found slipping a popsicle stick under the mask and itching works...

Sheriff

This is exactly my problem.... I use a full face mask and inevitably my nose itches as soon as I comfortable.... same thing seems to happen at the dentist and barber so it probably is partially a mind thing..... Would appreciate any other advice.

I have just been diagnosed with mild apnea, and started using a full mask with humidifier. Having a real problem adjusting and the main thing at this stage is the nose itching, outside of nose, not where mask touches skin.
I talked with my rep for the machine, and he said it is from a bit of condensation in the mask.(like if you are in the bathtub, and touch your dry nose it inevitably starts to itch until its wiped away or when it dries.) The condensations can be just from your breath and or the humidifier.
I changed the settings on the humidifier, to the lowest, but then my nose and even eyes felt really dry. I give up and take the darn thing off!!
To me it is a no win situation, and I think I will have to try the nose pads.